


I Won't Let Go

by justanoutlaw



Series: The Lost Get Found [5]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Adoption, Daddy Charming, Depression, F/M, Mentions of past abuse, No Curse, Once Upon A Time AU, Overprotective, Overprotective Parents, PTSD, Protective Parents, Puppy Love, School Shootings, Teen!Bae, Teen!Emma, charming family - Freeform, mama Snow, no magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-09-06 12:16:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 86,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8750515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: With a new member being added to the family, Emma has never felt more secure. But a terrible incident may undo all the progress she's made. David and Mary Margaret must figure out how best to help her this time, still refusing to ever let her go.





	1. Still Our Little Girl

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! So here we go, the next part of the story. Don’t want to spoil too much, but I will say that it takes place 9 months after the last chapter. So, Emma is now 15.

David was enjoying the peacefulness, using the time to catch up on his reading. But as a father, he should have known that the peace was going to be short lived. First, he heard a crash followed by his daughter’s scream. He dashed out of his study and to the source of the noise. There Emma was, halfway over the baby gate, her legs in the air and her head towards the ground. David stifled a laugh as he helped her up.

 

“You okay?”

“I’m fine. That wasn’t there before,” she huffed, gesturing to the gate.

David finally allowed himself to laugh. “I know, Mama just put it up. They’re bringing Neal tomorrow and she’s baby proofing.” He quickly inspected her for any injuries while Emma rolled her eyes.

“I told you I’m okay.”

“Just checking.”

“Neal really comes tomorrow?”

David smiled. “Yeah.”

 

Two months ago, Mary and David had decided it was time to start applying to get their foster license again, as they had let it lapse after they adopted Emma. When they were doing so, they began talking with Emma’s old social worker, Helen. She told them that Ed had another child, a baby boy, Neal. The biological mother had given him up for adoption and Ed was back in prison and would be for the rest of his life. Neal had been placed with a family but then he ended up needing heart surgery. It proved to be too much for them, so he was back in the system. With the birth mother giving up her rights and Ed once again having his stripped, they would be able to adopt him after fostering him for a bit. They just had to complete the classes, which is what they were doing. Now, their family was going to be expanding.

 

Emma could still remember being told that he was coming. Her parents had brought up wanting to foster again a little after the holidays. She was on the fence about it, though she told them she was on board. She knew that they weren’t doing it to replace her and that they loved her so much. It wasn’t about not being the center of their world, either. She just liked their family the way it was. Things just seemed so simple. Mary and David had assured her that it wouldn’t be starting until the end of the school year, so she figured she’d have time to adjust. Any negative feelings she had about the situation melted away as soon as she heard his story.

 

**Two Months Ago**

Emma entered the kitchen and found her parents sitting at the table, looking apprehensive.

 

“What’s wrong?” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “I’m not late, am I? The movie was longer than Lily and I thought…”

“No sweets,” Mary shook her head. “You’re not in trouble, just sit down.”

Emma took the seat across from them, raising an eyebrow. “What’s going on?”

“You know how Daddy and I have been talking about applying to get our foster license.” The blonde slowly nodded. “Well we were talking with Helen and she told us about a unique situation.”

“What sort of unique situation.”

“It seems that Ed had another child,” David explained.

Emma’s eyes widened a bit. “He…he’s got another child? No…no, he can’t!” She felt on the verge of a panic attack, at the very thought of that man being able to hurt another child.

Mary got up and moved to the seat beside Emma’s, pulling her onto her lap. “Baby, shhh. It’s okay, it’s okay. The baby’s safe, the baby’s not with him. Ed’s back in prison, he will be for the rest of his life, okay?” She rubbed her back.

The girl nodded, slowly calming down. “So, I have a baby brother or sister?”

“A brother,” David replied, with a soft smile. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, removing the picture that Helen had attached to the file. “He’s 8 months old and his name is Neal.”

Emma bit her lip, a small smile of her own. He had baby blue eyes and dark tuffs of hair. “Where is he?”

“Well, his biological mother put him up for adoption but there were some complications, so they couldn’t care for him.”

A frown crossed her face. “He’s in the system.” As happy as she was that he wasn’t with Ed, this wasn’t much better. Anyone could’ve had him. She felt a sudden surge of protectiveness for a little baby that she didn’t even know. “How could someone not want him?”

Mary stroked her hair. “Well someone does, us. Your father and I intend to get our foster license and foster him. Ed’s rights were stripped away and the biological mother signed hers away. So, we can adopt him eventually.” She ran a finger over Emma’s cheek. “Just like we did with you. If you’re okay with that.”

Emma quickly nodded. This was her baby brother, her DNA. Blood didn’t make a family and if they had fostered a child that she didn’t share any with, she knew that she would love them just as much. But this was different, this was a baby who came from the same evil place that she did. He had luckily been able to escape it much sooner, but she didn’t want him growing up as she did. “He’s my baby brother, I want him with us. He needs a family.”

Mary and David beamed proudly at their daughter. They knew she was nervous about them fostering and even with Neal being her brother, they were unsure of how it would go. “And he’ll have one. We already love his big sister so much and adopting her was the best thing we ever did.” Mary gave her a kiss on the cheek and Emma smiled.

“Where is he now?”

“Boston. A family has agreed to foster him until we get our license. It should take about 2 months, but then he’ll be with us, forever and always.” They all wished he could just be with them now, but there were procedures in place for a reason. “We just need you to know Emma, we’re not doing this to replace you. We simply want to add to our family, because being your parents has been the greatest gift. Things may be different, but how much we love you won’t change.” Emma nodded and buried her head in her mother’s shoulder. David moved closer, cradling his daughter’s head and kissing her cheek.

“You’ll always be our little girl.”

There was silence for a minute. “Is it bad I’m happy that it’s a boy?” Emma asked.

David chuckled. “No, but even if he was a girl, you’d still be our baby girl, my princess.”

 

**In The Present**

Emma knew jealousy was going to spring up. Neal was going to have things that she never got. Yes, he was in the system but he would never remember it. He was never at the mercy of Ed and never would be. He would be safe and protected all his life. All of these were good things and it wasn’t as if Emma wanted him to go through what she did. But jealousy wasn’t something she could help. Still, she felt it’d be worth it at the price of knowing that her baby brother was safe.

 

“You know,” David said, interrupting her thoughts. “I don’t think any of this would’ve happened if you had been wearing your glasses.”

Emma averted her eyes, taking interest in a family photo. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Uh huh. Found these in the kitchen.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the glasses case. “Come on, put them on.”

 

Emma pouted but took the case, sliding the bifocals onto her face. Around the same time they had found out about Neal, they realized that Emma’s vison was becoming fuzzy. It didn’t matter if it was close up or far away. She tried to hide it, but of course her parents figured it out and took her to the eye doctor. She was given a pair of glasses but hated wearing them. Constantly she was “forgetting them”. What seemed to do the trick was Mary keeping a pair in her office. If ever Emma was “forgetful”, she was simply called down to the office. That only had to happen twice for their daughter to get embarrassed and wear them at school. Home was another story. David and Mary had finally cracked and allowed the doctor to prescribe some contacts, but due to the severity of Emma’s vison and Storybrooke being a small town, they were going to take a week or two to come in.

 

“I don’t see why you hate wearing them, you look adorable.”

The teenager rolled her eyes. “I don’t want to be adorable.”

“But you are.” Emma let out an aggravated sigh as Mary made her way down the stairs, unlatching the gate.

“What’s going on?”

“Dad just said I look adorable.”

“David,” Mary fake scolded. “How dare you? Don’t you know she’s not adorable? She’s precious.” The mother kissed her daughter’s cheek, smiling at the disgusted look that went across the teen’s face.

“Argh,” Emma mumbled, walking past her and up the stairs. The brunette chuckled and walked over to her husband.

“Always fun to embarrass her,” she joked.

“Oh, totally. So, baby proofing all done?”

“Just about. Neal won’t be able to get into anything.”

“You know he is just a baby, I don’t think he can get into too much trouble. Were the childproof locks on the toilet really necessary.”

“I showed you the statistics, David. I want our child to be safe.”

David smiled. “Over protective mother already.”

“What can I say? It’s like with Emma, before I even met them both, I knew they were my child.”

“They certainly are.” He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. “I can’t believe he’ll be here tomorrow.”

“I know.” Mary rested her forehead against his. “We need to watch out for Emma, though. I know she’s happy, but she could get jealous.”

“I can’t blame her. Neal is going to have everything that she didn’t at that age.” He sighed as his wife frowned, knowing what was on her mind. “There’s nothing we can do to change that.”

“10 months seems like too long without being able to love him. I know he won’t remember it, but we will.”

“We can’t stress on the past, with either of them. All that matters is that they ended up with us, where they belong.”

Mary nodded. “I’ll just never be over it.”

“I won’t either, as Archie says we just have to learn to cope with it.” He kissed her for a moment.  “I’m going to head to the store, we need lightbulbs. Can I get you anything?”

“More diapers, I know we have a ton, I’m just paranoid about running out his first week.”

David wanted to remind her that they probably had enough to last them a month, but let her have her moment. “Of course.” He then called up to Emma. “Princess, do you need anything from the store?”

Emma’s door creaked open. “Chocolate!” And with that, the door shut again.

David chuckled. “Chocolate isn’t very descriptive.”

“I think she’s going to be needing a ton of chocolate soon,” Mary said, giving him a knowing look. He made a disgusted face.

“Maybe I’ll just buy every kind of chocolate they have…and a big stick to make me forget that she gets those.”

“Oh please, you know you dote on her whenever she does.” And it was true. Emma was always David’s little princess, but during her time of the month, he went out of his way to spoil her rotten. He made sure she had her chocolate and Midol, tucked her in for naps on the couch. Mary found it absolutely adorable

“Well, she’s still my little girl. Even with…that.”

“You can say it David, periods. Menstrual cycles, her time of the month, Aunt Flo…”

David covered his ears. “La la la, I’m going to the store. I’ll be back in an hour.”

 

Mary giggled to herself as he left. It was fun to freak him out sometimes.

 

Later that night, after she had finished getting ready for bed, Emma heard a knock at the door.

 

“Come in.” It opened and her parents walked in.

“Hey baby, going to bed?” Mary asked.

“Yeah. What’s up?”

“We just wanted to talk to you, sit down.” Emma sat, with her parents sitting on either side.

“Are you two getting a divorce?” She joked.

Mary rolled her eyes. “No, your father and I are still very much in love.”

“Then what’s up?”

“We just wanted to talk to you about tomorrow,” David said. “We know things are going to be a little different…”

“Guys,” Emma cut him off. “Really, we don’t need to have this talk.”

“Yeah, we do.”

“No, we don’t. Look, I get it. Neal’s a baby. He’s going to take up your attention, you both still love me and we’ll still do stuff. That about cover it?” She smiled cheekily at them.

David sighed. “That’s part of it, though we’re glad that you understand.”

“But as you said, Neal may take up our attention at times. However, I do not want you to ever keep some stuff from us,” Mary said. “I don’t ever want to hear you say that you didn’t tell us something because we were busy with Neal. We are still here for you, a hundred percent.”

The teen knew they were going to try to say this. “You guys don’t have to…”

“Emma,” Mary gave her a Look. “We are your parents and we’re always here for you.”

 

Emma had been doing better with her PTSD and depression. She still had nightmares and there were definitely times when she wasn’t okay. Her parents had accepted that they couldn’t fix everything, but encouraged her to at least talk about it. At the very least to not just brush stuff off by saying “I’m okay” and trying to move on.

 

“If something’s going on,” David continued. “Tell us. We’re not trying to say this as a punishment but if we feel that you’re holding back, you know we’ll just cling tighter.”

Emma partially smiled. “Yeah, I do.”

“We love you so much, baby,” Mary whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “We don’t want to go backwards, just forward.”

“I promise I won’t use Neal as a copout.” She wasn’t sure how much of that was true, but she wanted it to be.

“Good. And no matter what, there will always be time for…” She glanced over at David and he smirked. They hugged her tightly at the same time, smothering her face with kisses.

“You guys!” Emma couldn’t help but laugh. They were so dorky sometimes.

David chuckled, laying one last kiss to her forehead. “Just showing how much we love you.”

“I love you guys too.” She gave them each a kiss on the cheek before yawning.

“Bedtime.” Emma allowed her parents to tuck her in. She may have been 15, but there were still some things she just didn’t mind. She had gone so long without it, it was nice.

 

Mary and David knew that the talk would probably have to be repeated, but they had it out in the air. Having two kids was going to be hard, but they were going to do it and they weren’t going to let either down.

Mary stood by the window the next morning, anxiously waiting for the familiar station wagon to pull up. Emma walked up beside her.

 

“They’ll be here soon,” the blonde said.

“I know,” she murmured. She smiled at Emma. “I stood in this exact same spot almost 2 years ago, waiting for you.”

“Were you nervous?”

“Yes. And then out stepped my beautiful daughter…”

“Who had a black eye.”

Mary winced, she still kicked herself for how she reacted to that. “I really was just worried, you know that? It was motherly instinct kicking in already. I wanted to know who hurt my baby.”

Emma smiled. “It’s alright, Mama. I probably would’ve done the same thing.”

“You never did give me a name…”

“Because there’s nothing that you can do about it.”

“Oh, I can do plenty…”

Emma decided to distract her mother and luckily the perfect opportunity arose. “Isn’t that Helen’s car?”

Mary’s head snapped up. “David! Get in here!”

 

David walked in from the kitchen and the family headed to the door, opening it. Helen gave a small wave before opening the back door and reaching inside. When she emerged a moment later, she was holding a baby boy. Tears sprang to Mary’s eyes as she clutched David’s hand. Up the walk, Helen came and soon, she was inside.

 

“Hello Nolan family,” she said, smiling. “This is Neal.”

Mary reached out and took the baby, looking down into his bright blue eyes. He looked so different from his photo, so much bigger. He stared up at her, looking confused. “Hey there Neal, you’re so precious.” A few stray tears fell from her eyes. In wonder, she just looked at him. She loved him already, with all her heart.

David watched his wife with the baby, feeling the tears trickle to his own eyes. He placed a hand on his wife’s back and waited a few minutes. “May I have a turn?”

Mary laughed in spite of her tears. “Of course.”

He gently took the baby. “Hey there big guy, look at you.” Neal examined David’s shirt, grabbing for the buttons. “Oh, I don’t know how good those would taste, pal.” The sheriff just couldn’t believe it. He had a son, a little boy, who was already stealing his heart. “You’re amazing.”

 

Emma stood nearby, watching her parents, already feeling a twinge of jealousy. The way they looked at him, she knew they looked at her the same way. But he was so little and mesmerized with them. They weren’t just her parents anymore.

 

David looked up, noticing his daughter’s face. “Hey Princess, want to meet your brother?” Emma walked a little closer and he moved to put the baby in her arms.

“Oh, um, I don’t know if I should…”

“It’s okay, you won’t drop him,” David adjusted her arms appropriately.

Emma gazed down at her baby brother’s face and watched as he smiled. Mary felt her heart melt, his first smile since arriving. “Hey kid,” the teen whispered. “Um, I’m your big sister, Emma.” Neal grabbed a fistful of her blonde curls. “You don’t want to play with that, Mama and Daddy got you so many toys.” She couldn’t take her eyes off of him, she had never seen anything so small. This was him, her little brother. The one she had been thinking about for the past couple of months. He was there, he was safe.

 

He was home.

 

 

She had so much she wanted to say to him, but she couldn’t, not in front of their parents.

 

Mary and David chatted with Helen for a bit, signing a few final papers granting them foster parents. Emma gave her brother back to her mom, though she kept staring at him.

 

“He has your chin,” Mary said, touching her daughter’s.

“Yeah, he’s pretty adorable.”

“Oh, so you can use that word?” David, teased.

“He’s a baby!” Emma protested. “Babies are adorable.”

“Uh huh.” He ruffled her hair, chuckling.

“So…what now?” The teen asked after a few minutes.

Mary laughed. “Well, why don’t we go to Granny’s as the first time as a family of four?”

“Sounds good. But can he eat?”

“Yes, little things. Plus, I’ll make him a bottle before we leave.” Mary didn’t want to put him down again, but handed him off to David.

“You wanna go get something to eat, big guy? I have a feeling everyone is going to love you.” He lightly bounced the baby, making him smile.

“You know for a new placement, he seems to be adjusting fine,” Emma commented.

“He knows this is home. He’s with his mommy and daddy and big sister. Aren’t you, bub?”

 

Once Mary fixed the bottle and grabbed the already prepared diaper bag, they headed out to Mary’s car. It didn’t take long before they were at Granny’s. Neal proved to not like the car, as he fussed the entire way, only stopping once Mary got him out.

 

“Well, now we know one thing you don’t like,” she cooed.

 

Inside, Ruby immediately rushed over

 

“Is this Neal?” She asked.

“No, we kidnapped another baby on the way over here,” Emma replied sarcastically.

The teen rolled her eyes, playfully slugging her friend in the shoulder. “He is so cute.”

“Thanks Ruby,” Mary smiled. “Can we get a table for 3 ½?”

Ruby nodded and lead them to a booth, grabbing one of the high chairs so they could settle Neal down. Apparently, it was sitting alone period that bothered the little one, so he ended up back in Mary’s arms. “Fussy, just like his big sister.”

“Shut up,” Emma told her. “You’re the worst best friend ever.”

“As if. I’ll be back in a minute to take you order.”

 

Breakfast was spent with everyone coming by to see the new baby. The only person allowed to hold him outside the family was Granny. Mary was trying to not be terrified of germs, but she couldn’t help it. Emma found the whole thing hilarious, for once her mother’s overprotective wrath wasn’t on her.

 

The rest of the day was spent going for a walk around the park, including pushing Neal on the swing. David insisted he push Emma in one of the bigger ones, just to make up for lost time with her. Emma rolled her eyes, but secretly enjoyed it while Mary just took pictures.

 

It was weird how naturally it came to them, as if he was supposed to be there all along. Mary held him while David had his arm linked with Emma’s. It was all the couple had ever wanted.

 

That night, Emma woke up to hearing some fussing coming from Neal’s nursery. She was a little confused, because she assumed that he would be sleeping through the night by that point. She grabbed her baby blanket and headed into the room. Mary and David had heard the crying, but Emma had beat them and they could hear her over the monitor. They decided to wait and listen.

 

Neal was sitting up, light tears falling down his face.

 

“Hey Neal,” Emma whispered, lifting him into her arms and walking over to the hair chair that Marco had built for them. She settled down, holding him on his lap. “I know this must be scary, it’s your first night in a new place. I know about all of that. My first night, I didn’t sleep much.” The baby’s tears had stopped and he was just looking up at her. “It’s okay to be scared, but you don’t have to be. I promise this is the last stop, this is your home. You’re safe.”

 

Mary reached over and clutched David’s hand, feeling her heart break a little. Emma had been through so much and all she wanted to do was comfort her baby brother.

 

“And you’re really lucky too. Our…well I can’t even call him a birth dad because he’s not a dad, period. Our dad is that blonde guy that was holding you earlier. I guess we’ll just call the other man, Ed. He’s not nice, but don’t worry, he’ll never hurt you.” Neal gurgled, playing with Emma’s curls. “Like I said, you’re safe.”

“Should we go in there?” David whispered, he wasn’t sure if Emma needed their comfort too. He got waved off by his wife as she shook her head.

“Anyway,” Emma continued, her voice coming through crystal clear on the monitor. “Our parents are pretty awesome. Mama’s really overprotective and fusses over you, but she only does it because she loves you. Never tell her I said this, but it’s actually kind of nice.”

Mary smiled brightly. If only her daughter knew they could hear all of it.

“But she makes awesome food, especially brownies. Plus, she’ll sing to you and it’s soothing. You can talk to her about stuff, both of them actually. Daddy, he thinks he’s funny. Sometimes you have to laugh at his jokes, just so his feelings won’t be hurt.”

David gasped in offense. “I am plenty funny,” he grumbled. Mary chuckled, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Despite all that, he’s really great. He can be overprotective too. He always says I can’t date or kiss boys, so I wonder how he’ll be when you’re ready to date. Though, I don’t know if any girl is good enough for you.”

The father went from being offended to grinning, maybe he was rubbing off on Emma after all.

“They really love you kid, from the minute they found out about you, they were so excited. They are the best parents you could ask for. They mess up, but they do what they can to make up for it. They give a lot of hugs and kisses, but it’s nice. It makes you feel like you’re not alone.” She sighed a little. “I know you can’t understand most of this, but I just need you to know it. You really are safe here. Mama and Daddy love you, I love you too.”

 

She kissed his head and smiled when Neal’s head fell against her chest, his fist still around some of her curls. “Can we trade that? Here. I know you’re not supposed to have blankets in your crib yet but you can hold this until you fall back asleep.” She managed to work his fist off her hair and before he could grab it again, she put her blanket in his hand. “This is my blanket, but you can borrow it. It really does help.”

 

There was silence over the monitor for a good chunk of time, so Mary and David assumed that the baby had fallen back asleep. Mary looked up at David, tears falling down her face.

 

“We have a pretty spectacular daughter,” she whispered.

“That we do,” David replied, softly, tears of his own falling. “She’s already an amazing big sister.”

“Should we go make sure she can get him back in his crib okay?”

“Let’s give it a minute.”

 

The two waited and eventually went in there. They found both of their kids asleep, Emma cuddling Neal close to her chest. The parents almost started crying all over again, but contained themselves. Mary gently moved the blanket out of Neal’s hands and put him back in his crib while David lifted up Emma, who’s eyes flickered open a bit.

 

“Mmm…Daddy?”

“It’s alright Princess, go back to sleep. You need plenty of rest to hear my dad jokes tomorrow.”

“M’kay.” Sleepy Emma had no idea what her parents had heard. Mary stifled a chuckle.

“Alright, get her back to bed.” She slipped the baby blanket into Emma’s arms, kissing her cheek. “We’ll get Neal his own, sweets. But thank you for sharing it.” The blonde just nodded, clutching it close as she yawned. David pecked his wife’s lips.

“See you in a bit,” he whispered as he carried his daughter off.

* * *

 


	2. Advantage

Mary and David were exhausted, there was no better way to describe it. They had been told that Neal was sleeping through the night, but that was either a lie or the adjustment to a new home had caused him to regress a bit. So, the little one chose to wake up once at midnight and again at 5 AM. They took turns getting up with him and sometimes it’d take all of a few minutes to get him back down, others not so much. Emma, who was dead to the world, was not affected by it. That made her parents happy, because they knew she’d attempt to help if she could. Emma did notice how tired her parents were, even though they tried to keep up their usual act. She could tell they were going out of their way to prove that they were still there for her.

 

All of that is why Emma couldn’t help but laugh when Mary placed a bottle in front of her one morning at breakfast and went to go give her orange juice to Neal.

 

“Mama,” Emma said, in between snickers.

“Yeah?”

“Um, I think you’re mixing up kids.”

Mary realized what she had done and sighed. “Sorry, baby.” She grabbed the bottle back and handed her the glass of orange juice.

“It’s alright. You’re really tired. Are you sure you don’t want me to watch him while you relax? I know Daddy goes back to work today.”

 

It was the beginning of summer, so it meant that both Mary and Emma were home. Mary would have a few meetings to go to, but not until late July or early August. David had gotten some paternity leave, but it wasn’t as long as maternity leave would’ve been due to Neal’s age.

 

“You’re my sweet girl,” Mary said, touching her daughter’s cheek. “But I’ll be fine. Plus, it’s your summer break too. I’m sure you have plans of some sort.”

 

As if on cue, she suddenly received a text message from Lily.

 

**Lily: Killian Jones invited us all to go sailing on his dad’s boat. You in?**

After the party that she first attended shortly after going to Storybrooke, Emma had avoided Killian. It was pretty easy with him being a grade above her. He wasn’t really friends with hers, he just invited them to parties. Though, those invitations stopped after David busted them. Still, since she had started high school, he seemed to show more interest in hanging out with them. Even Bae, who he originally wasn’t a fan of, but he knew that with the girls, he was a packaged deal. Emma never really mentioned hanging out with him, because she knew her parents thought he was bad news.

 

Emma had never been sailing before, but something told her it wouldn’t be sailed by someone with a license. She also knew that Mr. and Mrs. Jones were out of town for business, so it would probably be sailed by Killian.

 

None the less, she wanted to go. It sounded like fun. Not that Mary or David would ever agree…

 

Then again, Mary already thought she had plans. She was so tired from Neal, Emma could make up some lie. David would be at the station all day, if Mary left the house she’d only be going on Main Street and nowhere near the docks. She didn’t want to lie, but the opportunity just seemed too good to pass up.

 

“Right, I almost forgot. Lily, Bae and Ruby wanted me to go to the lake with them.” To her, it wasn’t a complete lie, she would be near some body of water…just not that one her mother thought.

“I think you told me about that,” Mary murmured, clearly trying to keep up. “Just promise me you’ll be safe. Wear lots of sun screen, don’t go in too deep…”

Emma made a face. Even exhausted from being up with a baby, her mom could still slip into helicopter parent mode. “Do you want me to wear floaties, too?”

Mary narrowed her eyes. “I’m sure I could find you some.”

“I’m good. I should go get ready.” She hopped up and raced up the stairs, texting Lily back as she did. Mal would pick her up in a half hour. Quickly she found her swimsuit, which was a tankini. She still wasn’t confident with her body enough for a bikini and she wasn’t even sure if they were going to be doing any swimming. She ran her fingers over her faded scars. She hadn’t cut in over a year, but she still ended up with scars that lasted. She was forever making up excuses for them, but she felt like Bae knew.

 

On top of her swimsuit, she put on shorts and a quarter sleeved button down. After throwing up her hair and sliding on her flip fops, she slid a pair of sunglasses on her face and grabbed her bag. Mary had moved from the kitchen and into the living room. A horn could be heard honking from outside.

 

“That’s Mal. I’ll be back before dinner.”

“Did you put on sunscreen?”

“Yes, Mother.” Emma kissed her mom’s cheek and then the top of Neal’s head. “Bye Nealy, see you later!” The baby gurgled at her, smiling. Mary had him wave goodbye as she ran out the door.

 

Mal got them to the beach and dropped them off in the parking lot, thankfully not waiting for them to go onto the beach part. She didn’t know about the whole boat thing either. The girls linked arms and walked over to the docks. Bae, Ruby and Killian were already there. Emma couldn’t help but notice how handsome Bae looked. He had certainly grown up a lot over the past 9 months, he was taller and his muscles were coming in. She shook it off, he was her friend. Her best friend. She wasn’t going to screw it up just because he was getting hotter.

 

“Hey Emma,” he said with a smile.

“Bae, hi.”

“Are the rest of chopped liver?” Ruby asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Emma rolled her eyes. “Of course not.” She gave Ruby a quick hug before turning to Killian. “Thanks for inviting us.”

“It’s my pleasure milady,” he smirked. She could see Bae flinch out of the corner of her eye. He always seemed to be a bit jumpy whenever Emma was around Killian.

“Let’s get this party started,” Ruby announced, breaking the silence. She held up the bags she brought from Granny’s. “Perks of your grandmother owning a diner, I got us all the best stuff.”

“You’re the best, Rube.” Killian lead them onto the boat and soon they were out on the water.

 

Emma stood by the edge, looking out at the water. Sometimes she forgot how beautiful Storybrooke was. She didn’t get to do stuff like this back in Boston. Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her.

 

“Enjoying the view, love?”

She turned around to face Killian. “Oh, um, yeah. It’s great.”

“There are some other views that are equally great.”

Blush filled Emma’s cheeks. “Um, well…”

“Em, I have Dr. Pepper!” Ruby called out.

“Be right there, Rube,” she gave a small smile to the raven-haired boy in front of her and walked over to her friend. “Thanks.”

“Figured you could use an out. Though, he is cute,” Ruby whispered as she passed over the can.

Emma rolled her eyes as she sat down. “I’m not into him like that.”

“I think he likes you,” Lily piped up, softly. “He kept asking if you were coming.”

“Well, I don’t know. He’s just a friend.” She played with the tab of her soda, absentmindedly.

“Or is that because you like Bae.”

Emma elbowed her side. “Shut up.”

“Oh my God, you so do!”

“Shhh, they’re both here,” Emma whispered, venomously.

“Well you should do something about it.”

“I’m not going to do anything about it, he’s our friend. I don’t want to ruin the friendship.”

“Or you two could be really happy,” Ruby pointed out.

“Hey, why don’t we talk about something else? Like the hickey on Lily’s neck. How’d that get there?”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Alright, alright. Change of subject. How’s Neal?”

“He’s good.” Emma smiled. “Really cute.”

“Are you parents focused on him?”

“Yeah, but they’re still trying to obsess over me too. Like they’re trying to make a point or something.”

“Yet you got to do something like this.”

“Well, they don’t think I’m actually doing this.”

Ruby laughed. “Yeah, I don’t think Granny or any of our parents would’ve let us do this.”

* * *

David walked back into the station, sipping his fourth cup of coffee for the day. He hated being back at work already, he wished that he could still be helping Mary with Neal. Not to mention, he hated being away from his son so soon, he really was the sweetest little baby ever. That was until it was early in the morning when he would decide to scream. He secretly wondered if his some was like those Gremlins. Feed them after midnight and they turn into a monster.

 

Leroy was at his desk, looking over some paperwork. “Hey David,” he said, quickly. “Was that burglary anything?”

“Nope, an animal just tripped the alarm. Anything happen while I was gone?”

“I was just going to look into it, the call came in a minute ago. Seems that Killian Jones decided to take his dad’s boat out for a little joy ride. His partner noticed it was missing from the docks and gave him a call. Brennan Jones is out of town, he doesn’t want him arrested but just wants to give him a little scare.”

David shook his head. “That boy, you would think Brennan and Chloe would think twice before leaving him alone when they go out of town.”

Leroy chuckled. “Seems that someone saw Ruby and Bae with him before the boat left.”

“Granny and Gold are not going to be happy. Why any kid would want to get mixed up with Jones brothers is beyond me. But how are we supposed to get them to come in?”

“Graham’s the only one of us with a boating license. I sent him out to bring them in. But you should probably go down there, help him call all the parents.”

“Sounds like a good idea.”

 

As he was heading out to his truck, he heard his phone ringing. Mary’s picture had filled the screen. He smiled and answered it.

 

“Hey, how are my favorite people doing?”

“Pretty good, I just put Neal down for a nap, Emma’s out with her friends.”

David raised an eyebrow. “Which friends?”

“The usual, Bae, Lily and Ruby.”

“What did she say they were doing?”

“Going to the lake. Why?”  Mary was starting to get confused

“Because I just got a call that the Jones kid took his father’s boy out for a joy ride and he was spotted with Bae and Ruby.”

“Well, maybe Ruby and Bae didn’t show up to the lake?” Mary tried to sound hopeful, but they both knew what was going on.

“I have to get down there, and we can both just fruitlessly hope that our daughter told us the truth,” David mumbled.

“David, please don’t embarrass her. If she did lie, then she was wrong but you know we need to handle it at home. Your shift’s over after this anyway.”

“I will, I will.”

 

David got in his truck and drove down to the beach. By the time he got to the docks, Graham was already there, the Jones family boat tied up to a post. He spotted Bae and Ruby first, followed by Killian and Lily…and then those blonde curls that he knew oh so well.

 

Emma turned bright red when she saw her dad. When Graham’s boat suddenly showed up alongside theirs, she thought that was bad enough. He then made Killian tie his boat to the deputy’s and they were forced back. The teen had prayed that her father wouldn’t find out. She knew that it was a long shot, but she wondered if she could possibly charm Graham into just letting them off.

 

David walked over and looked at Killian first. “Your father is the one that told us to do this,” he explained.  “He’s clearly not pressing charges, but I would go home. I have a feeling you’re in a lot of trouble.” He turned to the others. “As for the rest of you, Graham will be calling your parents or guardians. He’ll stay with you to make sure that you all get picked up and are brought home safely. I hope I don’t have to come back here ever again, I thought all of you knew better.”

 

Emma went to go over to Lily, but her dad gently took her arm.

 

“You can come with me,” he said, quietly. He knew if he didn’t speak that low, he’d be shouting.

Emma sighed but followed her dad to the truck. “Daddy…”

“Don’t. We’ll talk about this when we get home. Your mother is waiting on us.”

“Mom knows?”

“Well when I got the call about the boat, I didn’t know exactly who was on it, outside Killian, Bae and Ruby. Then your mom phoned to check up on me and told me that you said you were going to the lake with two of those people plus Lily. I connected the dots for her.” He looked down at Emma and saw her face, arms and legs were slightly red. That wasn’t going to get her any points. It was bad enough that she lied and went on a boat with someone who didn’t know how to drive it, but she also didn’t put on sunscreen.

 

Once they got to the house, Emma simply followed him inside, knowing she was in so much trouble. She didn’t understand how she possibly got caught. It just didn’t make sense, Killian said that his dad would never find out. He was out of town, who had ratted on them?

 

Mary walked out of the living room, arms crossed over her chest. “Emma Ruth,” she said, her voice stern. She examined her daughter. “So not only did you lie and do something totally dangerous, you also didn’t put on sunscreen.”

“Mom…”

“Skin cancer is real, Emma, not to mention it could do other damage to your skin.”

Emma sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s not the extent of it,” David said, firmly. “You lied to your mother. You said you were going to the lake.”

“Well, I mean…the lake, the ocean…is there a difference?” She figured it couldn’t hurt to try, but from the looks on her parents’ faces, she knew that being cheeky wasn’t going to help matters.

“We need to know where you are at all times,” Mary told her.

“Well if I told you, you would’ve said no.”

“Damn straight I would’ve. Killian is 16, he doesn’t have his boating license.”

“His dad taught him how to operate it.”

“I don’t care, he still doesn’t have a license to drive it. Would you get in the car with someone who didn’t have a driver’s license?”

Emma averted her eyes, seeing the point. “No.”

“That was so incredibly dangerous,” David continued. “Anything could’ve happened to you. What if you crashed? I didn’t see any of you wearing life jackets.”

“Well you didn’t show up until after we all got off.”

“Okay, so I’ll call Graham and ask if you were.”

“Fine, so we weren’t. But is it really the end of the world?”

“The ocean is deep, even if you know how to swim,” Mary told her, stepping closer. “If you fell off, you would’ve drowned.”

“But I didn’t! I’m right here!”

“Emma, keep your voice down, I just got your brother to nap.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “My apologies.”

“Don’t give us an attitude, you’re already in a ton of trouble. What are you even doing hanging out with Killian Jones? He’s a grade older than you.”

“So is Bae.”

“Bae’s different. He’s a good kid and he tries to stay out of trouble.”

“He was on the boat, too.”

“So he’s not perfect. But he still isn’t Killian. That boy throws parties and serves alcohol, despite the people being in attendance being underage, he steals his father’s boat, he’s not someone you should be hanging around.”

“Well I have, for a while now.” Emma bit her lip as soon as it escaped her mouth.

David raised an eyebrow. “What kind of hanging out?”

“Not like that, but he does join the rest of us sometimes.”

“Have you been honest with us lately when you go out with your friends? About where you’re going?”  


The honest answer, was no. She knew that they’d freak out if they knew she was off hiking in the woods or when Killian drove them all to Boston for the day. Both of those times she was having “movie days” at Lily’s. While all of this was to have fun, she also was surprised that she kept getting away with it. She wondered if they secretly knew and just didn’t care, because they wanted her out of the house. So, she kept doing things and got away with it. Until then. Her silence said it all.

 

“Emma, why have you been lying?”

“Well, um…” She figured she could blame it on Neal. “You guys have just been so busy with Neal, it seemed that I could get away with it?”

Mary narrowed her eyes. “So clearly we need to spend more time with you. Maybe you can just stay by my side at all times.”

“Mom, no!” Emma’s eyes widened.

“Then tell us the truth.”

“Well…because you two wouldn’t approve of what I’ve been doing. It’s nothing bad.”

“Define nothing bad,” David said.

“We just do fun stuff. Like hiking in the woods...”

“That is so dangerous, Emma! Do you know the kind of stuff that’s in there? If you want to go hiking…”

“See, this is why I don’t tell you! Because you overreact!”

“We need to know where you are Emma,” Mary told her. “At all times. You’re our daughter. Even if you think we’ll say no. And if we do, it’s probably for a good reason.”

“Well it’s not like you guys have a way of knowing,” Emma fired back. “You’ve got Neal to worry about and Dad has to work, so you can’t follow me around everywhere! And even if you keep me by your side, that can’t last forever.”

 

Mary suddenly grew quiet, an idea forming in her head. David went to say something but she touched his arm, signaling him to be quiet.

 

“You know what Emma, you’re right. We can’t. Why don’t you go up to your room and change?”

Emma raised an eyebrow. That was not the response she was expecting. “Am I grounded?”

Just as David was about to say yes, Mary shook her head. “Nope. Just go on up.”

 

The blonde stared at her parents for a bit. She was sure this stunt would’ve had her grounded at least a month, if not the whole summer. Who was this person and what had she done with her mother? But, deciding not to chance it, she went upstairs. David turned to his wife.

 

“Are you insane?!? Of course she needs to be grounded!”

“David, I swear, if you wake up Neal, you’re getting up with him both times tonight,” she warned.

He sighed, lowering his voice. “What are you doing?”

“Look, we’ve grounded her in the past for lying to us where she’s going and it’s done nothing, obviously. Forbidding her to hang out with Killian is just going to make him more appealing and if she doesn’t have feelings for him, I think she’ll find them just to piss us off.” David sighed, knowing she was right. “Plus, I do suspect that a part of this is a test. Like, she wants to see if we really do care about Neal more somehow.”

“How did you gather all of that from this?”

“Because if we don’t care what she does, then we obviously don’t care about her and don’t want her around. Which isn’t true, but forcing her to stay by my side 24/7 is just going to drive us all crazy because she won’t make it fun.”

“So, she just gets off free? After lying to us for weeks?”

Mary laughed. “No, of course not. We’re just going to have to go a different route. We’ll put a tracker on her phone. That way, we know if she’s lying to us about where she’s going or not. And if she is, then we go and bring her home.”

David frowned. “Isn’t that a bit extreme? I mean, if we can’t trust her enough, then maybe she should just be grounded.”

“Grounding doesn’t seem to work. This is what we have to do. Just until we know we can trust her again.”

“Do we tell her we’re doing this?”

“Of course not. Then she’ll never bring her phone anywhere. But this will prove that we care enough about her and that we do want her around.”

“She’s been here almost two years,” David mumbled. “Why does she feel like she still has to test us?”

“There’s a new baby in the house, it’s typical.  If she were younger, she’d be throwing tantrums and refusing to pick up her toys. But we’re dealing with a teen here,” Mary reminded him.

He sighed. “If you’re sure this will work.”

“It will. If she keeps it up, then we’ll ground her. But something tells me that Mommy or Daddy showing up whenever she gets herself into trouble will be enough to deter this lying. And prove to her, that no matter what we care about her and where she is. We really do just want her safe.”

“Can’t she just be our sweet girl all the time?”

“Ah, but then she wouldn’t be Emma,” she reminded him with a wink.

“The girl is going to give me early gray hair.”

 

Mary laughed and kissed his cheek.

 

“I’m going to go help her with that sunburn. Can you keep an ear out for Neal?”

“Of course.”

 

She pecked his lips and headed upstairs to their bathroom, grabbing aloe vera lotion before knocking on Emma’s door. She got a gentle “Come in” and entered. Emma had clearly changed out of her swimsuit, though she was still wearing the same shirt and shorts.

 

“Alright, let’s get this on you,” Mary said, holding up the bottle.

“I don’t need that stuff.”

“Yes, you do. You’re burned. Here, lay down.”

“I can do it myself,” Emma mumbled.

“Oh, like you told me that you could put on your sunscreen on your own?”

 

Emma rolled her eyes as Mary walked over, uncapping the lotion and squirting some on her arms. The teen attempted to squirm away as her mom put it on her arms, but it was no use. A part of it did feel a little cooling on her warm skin. She finally gave of up by the time she was done with her second arm and allowed her to do the legs, though she began squirming again when it got to her face. The smell so close to her nose was a bit too much.

 

“I don’t think you’ll forget your sunscreen again,” Mary said with a small smile.

“Like you’ll ever let me leave the house again without you applying it yourself,” Emma grumbled.

“Well, I assumed I could trust my teenage daughter to put it on, obviously not.”

“I forgot, I was in a hurry.”

“I asked you before you left.”

“Sun screen’s for wimps.”

“Yes, wimps who don’t put their skin in danger,” Mary rolled her eyes as she rubbed some on Emma’s cheeks. “Seriously, Emma. And then not wearing a life vest, on top of getting on a boat with an unlicensed driver? Do you know how devastated your father and I would be if anything ever happened to you?”

Emma sighed. “You always say that.”

“Because it’s true,” Mary capped the lotion again, looking down into her daughter’s green eyes. “Your father and I love you so much, more than life itself. Even Neal, he loves his big sister. We need you to be around when he’s older so he has something to inspire after.”

Emma’s already red cheeks flushed. “I don’t think I’m inspiring.”

“I do. Please just promise me you’re going to stop putting your life in danger like that.”

“I didn’t think anything was going to happen.”

“Anything could’ve, though.”

“We just had a picnic on the boat and talked.”

“And Killian could’ve lost control of the wheel and then you could’ve been in an accident.”

“Alright, alright. I will never again get on a boat with someone who doesn’t have a license.”

“Or a car, motorcycle, truck, plane or train.”

Emma giggled. “Plane and train? Really?”

“I don’t know, with you I feel like I have to spell everything out.”

 

Mary kissed the top of her head.

 

“And I don’t want to keep hearing this nonsense that we’re busy with Neal so we can’t know what we’re doing. We always need to and want to know.”

Emma averted her glance. She knew they cared, but maybe if she kept acting up, they’d finally just focus on him a hundred percent. Mary knew that look on her daughter’s face. She simply just kissed her head again. They would have to prove it in time.

“Do you want to help me make brownies?”

“Aren’t you exhausted?”

“I want to spend some time with my girl.”

“I just lied to you, you shouldn’t want to spend time with me.”

“I always want to spend time with you. Now come on.” Mary lead her downstairs and started pulling out the ingredients. David reached into the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, handing it to Emma.

“What’s this?”

“A water bottle?” He replied with a laugh.

“I know what it is, why are you giving it to me?”

“You’re sunburned, you need to stay hydrated. Your mother and I will be making sure you don’t end up getting sick.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to get sick.”

“You’re right, because you’re going to be a good patient, aren’t you?” He gave her a smile, causing her to roll her eyes again. She pulled out her phone and put it on the island so it wouldn’t get dirty while she was helping Mary bake. When she had her back turned, Mary nodded to David and he grabbed it, taking it into the other room. He had found the perfect tracking app, he just had to program all their phones to it.


	3. Still Testing

With the tracking device on Emma’s phone, Mary felt ten times more relaxed every time she left the house. Emma did seem to go where she said she was. She was beginning to think maybe the whole boat thing had been enough to spook her for a while. It had only been a few days, but she knew her daughter and assumed she would at least try to test her limits once again. She was actually pretty proud of her in that respect. The girl was none the wiser to the app. As luck would have it, she had a folder marked “Useless Apps”, like the stocks and calculator ones. David had stuck Emma’s end of the app in the folder.

 

However, as respectful as she had been with the rules, Mary could tell something was off about her. She’d constantly be looking at her phone and sighing every few minutes. Mary had been 15 once and while there hadn’t been texting, she would hang by the phone at all times, waiting for a call. For a boy to call. Her baby girl had a crush, her first crush most likely.

 

“What’s his name?” She finally asked after watching Emma longingly look at her phone.

Emma’s eyes snapped up. “What’s who’s name?”

“The boy you like.”

The teen’s cheeks turned pink. “I don’t…I don’t like a boy.”

“Oh really? Then who’s not texting you that’s making you so upset?”

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

“Emma.” Mary raised an eyebrow. “Talk to me.”

Emma sighed and lifted Neal from off the floor. “Kid, do something cute and distract her.” The baby just started playing with his favorite toys: her curls.

“Honey, he could start walking and spinning plates on his head, we’re still having this conversation.” She sat down beside her. “Tell me, this is the stuff mothers and daughters do.”

“I thought their thing was fighting.”

“That too. Come on.”

 

Emma could tell this was one of those things, something her mom had always dreamed of doing. The teen was never sure if she’d ever feel comfortable liking a boy in that way, but she supposed it was either talk to her mother or Ruby and Lily. While she loved her best friends, she had a feeling Mary was going to be the better bet. Plus, Lily would probably threaten to castrate Bae for what had been going on.

 

“Promise not to go all mama bear?” Emma asked, finally.

Mary smiled. “I promise.”

“I um, I like Bae.”

“I know.”

The blonde raised an eyebrow. “You knew?”

“Baby, I called us having this conversation almost 2 years ago when he came to check on you after Will attacked.”

Emma blushed once again. “Oh.”

“So, you like him?”

“Yeah and I thought he liked me too, lately he’s been a little flirty. But then after the whole boat thing, he hasn’t been texting me back.”

“Maybe he’s grounded.”

“I know he’s not, because he’s been answering Lily and Ruby’s texts in the group chat. I don’t know what I did wrong.”

Mary couldn’t help but smile. Sometimes her daughter didn’t seem like other teenagers, but right now she sounded like just about every other girl her age. “Sweets, I’m sure you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“How do you know?”

“Well there’s only one way to figure out. Now, this is going to sound really pre-historic but why don’t you stop texting,” Emma rolled her eyes. “And call him. If I recall, our phone plan included unlimited text _and_ talk. Use the latter.”

Emma bit her lip. “What if it doesn’t work? What if he’s still shutting me out?”

“Well…then he’s not worth your time.”

“That is such a mom answer,” Emma scoffed.

Mary giggled and cupped her daughter’s cheek. “I am a mom after all. But seriously, sweets, if he doesn’t like you back there will be other boys. You are a very special girl, something tells me your father is going to be threatening to murder a ton of boys.”

The teen made a face. “Joy. You don’t have to tell him we had this conversation, do you?”

“Of course not. Though if Bae does like you, you know he will find out.”

“And then Bae will be buried under the porch.”

“I won’t let him kill him,” Mary assured her. “Unless he breaks your heart, then he’s fair game.”

“Not you too!” Emma cried. “You’re the mom.”

The brunette gave her a motherly smile. “Sweets, you know me. No one hurts my babies.”

Emma sighed and cuddled her brother closer. “Do something to make Mama fuss over you instead.” Nothing, the baby just smiled and babbled something.

“When is Emmy going to learn that I’m always going to protect her, Nealy?” Mary cooed. “Huh?”

The teen rolled her eyes and handed Neal over to her. “I have to go make a call.”

Mary smirked. “Bae?”

“Bae’s not the only I could call.”

 

Mary watched her daughter walk up the stairs and breathed a sigh of relief, stroking Neal’s fine hair.

 

“Oh Nealy, I am really glad that she doesn’t have a thing for that Jones boy,” she whispered. That had been her fear when they sat down for that talk, that after the boat adventure that she was caught up with the bad boy. She wasn’t sure how she felt about her baby girl dating overall, but she’d pick Baelfire over Killian any day of the week.

 

Upstairs, Emma’s shaky hands found Bae’s name in her contact list. If this didn’t work, she was going to kill her mother. The phone rang twice and then she heard his voice come over the receiver.

 

“Emma.”

“Hey.”

Silence for a minute. “What’s up?”

 

_You haven’t been answering my texts and I never wanted to be one of those girls, the girls that are all caught up with a boy. But you do that to me Baelfire Gold. Why?_

“Did I do something to make you mad?”

“What? No.” He sounded almost offended.

“Then why aren’t you answering my texts?” More silence. “I mean, not that you have to text me back, it’s just…you normally do…so…”

“Look, I thought…I don’t know what I thought but clearly I was wrong so…”

Emma raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

“I mean, I thought we were…getting somewhere, but then I heard you on the boat.”

The blonde turned red. “Oh no.” She told Lily and Ruby to keep their voices down!

“I get it. He’s a lot cooler than me and…”

“Wait.” Emma was confused again. “Who’s he?”

“Killian. I mean, that’s the friend you didn’t want to ruin the relationship with right?”

Emma bit her lip, suppressing a giggle. Oh Bae. “Bae, I wasn’t talking about Killian.”

“Then who…oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Well…now I feel stupid.”

This time, she allowed herself to laugh. “Don’t, you didn’t catch the whole thing.”

“I mean, I saw Killian flirting with you and…”

“And I didn’t like it.”

“I’m sorry, Em. I overreacted.”

“It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not. You’re…you’re my best friend. I don’t want to lose you.”

 

_Best friend._

Maybe they weren’t as ready as she thought. Though clearly he must have some feelings for her if the thought of her being with someone else made him upset.

 

“Yeah, best friends.”

“Lily’s coming over to watch a movie, do you want to come? I promise, it’ll stay in the living room and my mom’s home so your dad won’t kill me.”

Emma smiled. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

“Great. I’ll ask Lil if Mrs. Page can pick you up too and text you.”

“Okay. See you soon.”

“See you soon.”

 

She hung up, feeling a little better. If they couldn’t be more than friends, that was fine. But she couldn’t stand to lose him. He was the one person who understood her more than anything. And it was out there…they both had pretty much admitted they liked each other. It was just up to one of them to make the first move.

 

Emma got ready and headed downstairs. Mary was on the floor, putting some blocks in front of Neal. “Well?”

“We’re good. It was just a misunderstanding.”

Her mother smiled. “Good. And are you two…”

“Best friends.”

“You okay with that?”

Emma nodded. “Thanks Mom. You were…” She didn’t want to admit she was right, that’d be like teen suicide. “Perceptive.”

Mary laughed. “I was right, you can say it.”

“Never. But he did invite me to watch movies at his house with him and Lily. Belle’s going to be there. Can I go?”

“Of course. Just remember we’re having dinner at Granny’s, so if you need a ride, let us know.”

“It’s a 5-minute walk from Bae’s, I’ll meet you there.

 

She sat on the floor and played with her mom and brother for a few minutes. The large age gap was kind of weird, but she still loved spending time with him. Especially with her mom. Even though deep down, she felt like her parents should still be putting more focus on him. If they didn’t have to constantly worry about her, maybe it’d take some of the stress off.

 

Eventually Mal showed up and drove the girls to Bae’s. Belle greeted them at the door.

 

“Hi girls! Bae’s in the living room, go on in.”

 

Lily snickered a bit at the librarian’s overexcited energy. Emma nudged her in the ribs, though she wondered how her friend’s mother did it, too. She had just had a baby a few months ago, so he was younger than Neal. Yet Belle always seemed to be so chipper.

 

They spent the next few hours watching Adam Sandler movies, some so terrible they were equally hilarious. By the end, Lily wanted to document the moment, but their phone was dead so Emma used her to take the photo of the three of them. Then as usual, Bae offered to take a picture of just the girls. When he was done, he noticed Emma’s “Useless Apps” folder.

 

“What apps do you deem useless?” He asked.

“Just the ones that they won’t let you get rid of,” she replied, absentmindedly.

Bae went through the folder, noticing a particular app. “Your parents use this one too?”

“Use what?”

“Life360. My dad put it on my phone, it sucks but paranoid parents.” He rolled his eyes. Emma was confused as she grabbed it back and looked. The app looked pretty straightforward, it allowed her to look at the locations of her parents.

“Wait…is this a tracking app?”

Bae exchanged a look with Lily. “Um…you didn’t know that was on there?”

“No.” That’s when it hit her. That’s why they hadn’t grounded her, they were spying on her.

 

Come to think of it, Mary hadn’t questioned her much about where she was going, like she had before. She’d ask once, but that was it. Before she’d practically interrogate Emma. This was why, because she had a tracking device at her finger tips.

 

She sort of got why her parents put it there. She had lied to them…several times. If they had mentioned it, she would’ve gotten a little mad, but eventually gotten over it. Instead, they snuck behind her back and were spying on her. They didn’t trust her, not even enough to tell her that they were putting stuff on her phone.

 

Well…if they were so worried about her, maybe she’d give them something to worry about.

 

“Hey, Lil, do you have somewhere to be?”

“No, why?” The brunette could tell that her best friend had a plan up her sleeve.

“I want to freak my parents out a bit.”

* * *

David entered Granny’s, spotting Mary in their usual booth, Neal settled on her lap. He still hated his high chair. Even at home, he insisted on sitting in someone’s lap or be held in their arms. They indulged it more than they probably should, but it was just so sweet. He was a little cuddle bug.

 

“There are two of my favorite people,” he said, quickly kissing his wife along with his little boy’s head before sliding in on the other side. “Where’s my other one?”

“She’s meeting us here, she had a movie day with Lily and Bae.”

“Oh?”

Mary sighed. “Yeah, I don’t know. I believed her when she told me, but she texted me to say she may be a little late because the movie’s running long. Something about it just felt off. Call it motherly instinct.”

“One way to figure it out.” The sheriff dug his phone out of the pocket and pulled up the app. He waited for it to load, only to gasp.

“What? She’s not at Bae’s?” Mary tried to peer across the table to look.

“No. She’s at the _Rabbit Hole_.”

His wife’s eyebrows shot up. “Take the baby.” She passed Neal over and snatched her husband’s phone, looking at it. Sure enough, Emma’s little symbol was showing up outside the town’s local bar. “She is 15 years old!”

“I know that she likes to do dangerous things, but this is beyond. She can’t drink, we’ve had talks about this!”

Mary checked her watch. “It’s barely 6. I don’t think anyone will be too drunk yet. Let’s go drag her out of there.” She got out of the booth, David following.

“What happened to not embarrassing her in public?”

“That was before she started hanging out in bars!”

 

The Rabbit Hole wasn’t too far from the diner, so they were able to walk there fast. Neither could believe it. Emma wasn’t perfect but drinking? They didn’t expect that from her. She was just a child, 6 years too young to be drinking. Didn’t she know the consequences, they wondered. Lily stood outside, not far from the bouncer. They marched up to her.

 

“Lily,” David was trying to stay calm. Neal began picking up on the tension and started fussing. The sheriff sighed and eased up a bit, bouncing him lightly. “Where is Emma?”

“She’s not here,” the teen replied.

“Don’t lie for her.”

“I’m not.” Lily held up Emma’s cell phone, proving it was hers by the lock screen: a selfie she had taken with David and Neal. “She told me to stand here and give you this.” She rummaged around in her pocket and pulled out a sticky note, handing it over to Mary.

 

**How’s that app working out?**

“She’s still at Bae’s,” Lily added.

 

Mary and David shut their eyes at the same time, groaning. She had found the app, of course she had. She was smart, too smart. And she loved to play dirty. Once again, Mary knew this was another test. Yes, she was mad, but this was another part to supposedly push them over the edge of just giving up.

 

“Go home, Lily,” Mary finally said,

“Alright.” She handed over Emma’s phone and walked off, clearly not wanting to deal with the overprotective Nolan wrath.

“That girl…” David grunted.

“Let’s just go get her and we can discuss it at home.”

“But I mean, how can we punish her? You know what she’s going to say, Mary. She technically didn’t lie about where she was.”

Mary shook her head. “I know. And she’s not in trouble, but we need to have a talk. She’s testing us.”

“Testing us? Still?”

“I think this is the point she assumes we give up on caring. But she has another thing coming.”

 

David didn’t understand why she still felt the need to do this a whole year later. Mary said it had to do with Neal, but what difference did that make? They had been going above and beyond to be there for them both. Were they failing her somehow?

 

The drive to Bae’s was quick. Belle opened the door holding her newborn son, Gideon. She gave them a smile.

 

“Hi guys. Here to pick up Emma? She and Bae are in the den.”

Mary simply nodded. Normally, she’d ask the new mom how she was handling the baby but she just wanted to get to her kid. David followed the women into the den, Neal on his hip. Emma looked up and gave them a smile.

“Hey Mom, Dad, I told you I’d meet you at the diner.”

“Save it,” Mary said. “Let’s go.”

Emma pretended to look confused. “Are you guys mad? I told you I was going to be here, right?” Mary gave her a Look, telling her to drop the attitude if she knew what was good for her. Emma quickly got up, knowing it was best to drop the sass for the moment.

Belle was catching on and eyed her son. “Bae, Mary and David did know that Emma was here, didn’t they?”

“Yeah…kind of…” Bae trailed off.

“It’s not on Bae,” David explained. “It’s all our daughter, trust me.”

 

They lead her out the door and to the car. Instead of going to the diner, they went straight home. Once there, David settled Neal down in his playpen and Emma headed for the stairs.

 

“Emma Ruth, I don’t know where you think you’re going,” Mary told her.

“What?” Emma was back to acting coy. “I don’t understand. I texted you that I was going to stay at Bae’s a little later and I did. So, what gives?”

“You know what you did, young lady. And that was a dirty trick,” David said, his voice rising again.

“Well you two put an app on my phone without telling me!”

“We were trying to look out for you, you haven’t exactly been honest about your whereabouts lately.”

“I’m not even mad about the stupid app! Use it, I don’t care. But you didn’t tell me! I thought we didn’t have secrets anymore!”

 

Mary and David exchanged a look, knowing she was right. They booth eased up a little.

 

“Look Em,” David’s voice got softer. “You’re right. We should’ve told you.”

“We just thought you’d keep your phone off or purposefully leave it at home,” Mary said.

Emma folded her arms. “Maybe I would have. But we’ll never know, because you two weren’t honest.”

“If you think the app is coming off, you’re sorely mistaken,” David told her, sternly.

“I don’t care! Obviously I can make it look like I’m in other places when I’m not!”

“Then maybe you don’t get to go out by yourself anymore!”

“You won’t do that!”

“Watch me!”

“Okay, enough.” Mary held up a hand, silencing her husband and daughter. “Emma, first of all, don’t speak to us like that. You are still the child.” She chose to ignore the teen’s subsequent eyeroll. “David, yelling at her isn’t going to get us anywhere and neither is forcing her to stay by our sides like super glue.”

 

Emma bit her lip. This was it. This was when they gave up. She had given them test after test and this was just one they couldn’t pass.

 

“Emma, do you know what through our minds today when we saw you were at the bar?” The teen didn’t respond, she just folded her arms and her bottom lip jutted out a bit. “I don’t know about your father, but all I could think about is why my 15-year-old baby girl wanted to go to a bar. Why she’d want to poison her body with alcohol. I wondered why you would possibly set yourself up to be at the mercy of the men that could be there, already wasted.” Emma squirmed a little, she hadn’t thought about it like that. “I was worried sick. Just as I am every single time you leave the house because I do feel like the safest place for you is by my side. But I know that it’s not realistic. And as of late, you haven’t shown that I can trust you.”

 

 

The blonde couldn’t even rebut what she was saying, she just looked at the floor.

 

“So yes, we put the app on your phone and we should have told you. But what you did, scaring us to death in retaliation, just proves why you have it in the first place. Because now, I don’t know if I want you leaving my sight ever again.”

“Stop saying that,” Emma mumbled. “It’s not true.”

“Yes, it is.” Mary stepped closer, tipping her chin up so Emma was forced to look into her eyes. “Emma, I am your mother. I need to know where you are and that you are safe at all times.”

“You have Neal to worry about, that’s stress enough. Just stop worrying about me and then we won’t have these problems!”

 

David felt his anger slowly melting away and he joined his wife’s side.

 

“Emma, what did we tell you before Neal came here?”

“Dad…”

“Tell me.”

She sighed. “You said you were always going to be there and that he wasn’t going to change things. But he should! Stop paying attention, stop worrying, focus on your baby!”

 

Mary could read her daughter. While her mouth was saying those things, her brain was begging them to pass the test, to choose her. To keep worrying.

 

“Can I ask you something?” The brunette finally asked, receiving a nod in response. “How many more of these tests are we going to have to take?” Emma’s eyes widened and she gnawed on her lip. “I mean, I personally don’t care because I’ll go through as many as I need to. I just want to know.”

“I…” She was at a loss for words, not understanding how her mom had figured all of it out.

“Emma, I don’t know how many times we have to say this.” Mary grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her dead in the eye. “We love you. We want you. You are our child and we want to protect you and keep you safe. We can pay equal attention to both you and Neal, we want to do that. Just because he’s a baby, doesn’t mean that he deserves it more. You are our baby, just as much as he is. We are here, Emma. Forever and always. And you can put up your walls and test us, play these stupid games and it won’t matter. We’re not going anywhere.” Tears prickled Emma’s eyes and she tried to look away, but her mother wouldn’t let her. “And if I have to repeat this speech a million times, I will. You are _safe_ here, Emma. This is your forever home and we are _always_ going to love you. Nothing you say or do is going to make us give up on you, nothing. So, you can keep testing us. Go ahead. All it’s going to do is make us hold on tighter until it gets through your head how much we love you.”

 

The tears began to spill down Emma’s face. She knew she had been testing them, but she hadn’t realized what it had been doing to them or even her. But it didn’t even matter. They loved her, they wanted her. They could handle both her and Neal.

  
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I won’t…I won’t test you anymore.”

Mary let out a deep breath, enveloping Emma into a tight hug. The blonde clung tighter to her, sobbing into her shoulder. “Oh sweets.” She rubbed soothing circles on her back. David walked over, cradling the back of his daughter’s head as he joined the hug. He didn’t have anything to say, his wife, as usual, had said it all.

“I’m…I’m really sorry,” Emma choked out. “I just…I thought if you…if you saw this side you wouldn’t want me, that even if I lived here, you’d give up.”

“We are never giving up,” David whispered in her ear. “Ever. We love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

 

They stood there for a few moments, Emma sandwiched in between the middle of them. They weren’t going to let her go, not until she was ready. The teen felt safe, she felt loved. She didn’t have to test them anymore, at least not when it came to them caring. There would be more teen hurdles for them to overcome, but those were normal. Had Emma grown up with them, she probably wouldn’t feel the need to test them in such a way. But she had and it could be over now.

 

Finally, Emma pulled away and David wiped away her tears.

 

“The app stays,” he told her, softly.

“I figured,” she whispered.

“No more tricking us, either. This time, was sort of on us because we didn’t tell you. It doesn’t make it okay, not by a long shot but none of us were perfect. But we need to start over.”

Emma nodded. “How long will it stay on my phone?”

“Until we trust you again,” Mary told her. “It’ll take time, but it will happen. You’ve earned our trust back in the past, right?” The blonde shook her head in agreement.

“I won’t give my phone away or leave it places on purpose,” she told them. “I was wrong to have Lily stand there, I was just upset.”

“I know. Never again, right?”

“Right.”

David pulled her close, kissing her forehead. “And if I find out that you were ever at the Rabbit Hole before your 21st birthday, you won’t be allowed back in until your 50th, understood?”

She did her best to not roll her eyes, knowing he was serious. He was the sheriff after all, she had a feeling he could have that sort of pull. “Understood, Daddy.”

“Good.”

She was quiet for a minute. “I’m hungry.”

 

Mary and David couldn’t help but laugh, shaking their heads. Only their Emma.

 

“I suppose we could give dinner at Granny’s another go,” David said, pulling away to lift Neal up out of his playpen.  “What do you think, big guy?”

“I mean, you guys know what I’m like as a teenager, just imagine him,” Emma pointed out. “I’ll be able to tell him all my tricks.”

“You’re not allowed to speak to him once he’s old enough for that to sink in.”

 

Emma laughed while Mary rolled her eyes. What was she going to do with the two of them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I want to thank everyone for leaving such positive reviews! As for those already guessing at the tragic event, I will just simply plead the fifth for now! You’ll find out soon enough mwahaha. In response to prayformamaswift3, I definitely will use that in the next chapter. If anyone else has anything you want to see, as always, let me know!


	4. Withdrawal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve had requests for more Daddy Charming, so I’m including that in this chapter along with something else that prayformamswift3 wanted to see. If you guys have stuff you want to see, just let me know and I’ll include it. The more build up to the big thing, the better haha.

After dinner, Mary and David stuck true to their word and stuck by Emma, insisting they had a movie night. It would be their first with little Neal in tow, so Mary insisted it be a cartoon.

 

“He’s a baby, he won’t remember any of it,” Emma pointed out. She was sitting next to David, his arm securely around her. Neal sat on his lap, playing with the ear on a teddy bear.

“You never know. I’m not sure if babies can have bad dreams or not,” she pointed out as she rifled through the collection.

“Yes, because everyone has nightmares from The Breakfast Club.”

David chuckled. “Give your mom a break. It’s our first movie night as a complete family.”

Mary slid in “Meet the Robinsons” before taking a seat on the other side of Emma, grabbing Neal from David. Halfway through the movie, the teen began experiencing stomach pains. She knew it wasn’t cramps, but wasn’t about to say anything. All she could hope for was that it would pass eventually. She didn’t want either of them fussing over her, it was nice to just have a quiet moment.

 

By the time the movie was over, Mary expected that Emma would be falling asleep, but she seemed wide awake. Neal had drifted off, so she stood up, having a silent eye conversation with David, telling him to get her to bed. She’d had a long day and something about her seemed off. But telling Emma to go to bed would just ruin the evening.

 

“I’m gonna go put Neal down,” she said. “Then probably lay down myself.” She laid a kiss to the top of her daughter’s head. “Night sweets, I love you.”

“Love you too, Mama. Night, Neal.” The teen kissed her sleeping brother’s cheek.

 

David watched his wife go upstairs and then looked down at Emma.

 

“So, Princess, what are we gonna do now?” She shrugged. “You’re not tired?”

“No. It’s not that late.”

“Mama’s already going to bed.”

“To be fair, Mama spends all day taking care of Neal and will probably have to be up with him in a couple of hours.”

David nodded. This wasn’t going to be easy. “You wanna watch a little T.V?”

Emma knew what he was doing and had to give him credit for trying not to ruin the evening. She wasn’t going to be able to sleep, not with her stomach feeling weird. They were going to get suspicious if she didn’t start acting tired soon, but if she suddenly went up to bed, that was going to work weird too. “Sure.”

 

David put on a true crime T.V show. The father and daughter had begun watching them not too long ago. Emma hadn’t told her dad yet but she was thinking about going into criminal justice like him. She used to fear police officers given her history, but he had taught her to feel differently. She wanted to help people too, because no one had helped her. She had some time before college and all of that, anyway. She didn’t know how either of her parents were going to react and needed to find the right time.

 

“Your mom would probably kill me if she knew we watched these,” he told her softly.

“There are murderers out there, such a shock to a 15-year-old,” she retorted with a small smirk.

He chuckled and tightened his grip around her. “You doing okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“You’d tell me if you weren’t?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

 

After 2 episodes of Forensic Files, Emma pretended to be tired and stood up.

 

“I think I’m gonna go to bed,” she announced.

David smiled, rising to his feet and kissing her cheek. “Goodnight, Princess. I love you.”

“Love you too, Daddy.”

 

After changing into pajamas, she crawled into bed and attempted to fall asleep. But hours went by and not only was her stomach in knots, but she was beginning to sweat profusely. She felt like complete hell and wanted relief, but the only medicine was in her parents’ bedroom and there was no way she could sneak in and take it without them waking up.

 

David’s dreamless state was interrupted by sounds of retching. Mary was still asleep beside him and it wasn’t coming from the baby monitor, so he knew just who it was. Suddenly, Emma’s strange behavior was making sense. He headed into Emma’s bathroom and found her kneeling over the toilet, puking her guts out. He simply knelt next to her and held her hair back with one hand, using the other to rub her back. When she was finished, she flushed and looked up at him.

 

“I didn’t want to wake you up,” she mumbled, weakly.

“It’s alright, I’d rather be here to help you.”

“Just go back to bed, I’ll be fine.”

“Emma, I’m not going to leave you alone when you’re sick.”

“Daddy, it’s late. Won’t Neal be up eventually?”

“Your mother can handle him. Now come on, let’s get you in bed.” He lifted her up into his arms but to her surprise, he grabbed her baby blanket and took her into his bedroom.

“No,” she whispered. “Mama’s going to wake up, she’s already so exhausted.” Her pleas went ignored and she was set in the center of the bed. Mary’s eyes flickered open and she saw her daughter.

“What’s going on?” Her hand instinctively went to her daughter’s forehead. “Oh baby, you’re warm.”

“I’m fine.”

“Mary, you relax,” David told her. “I’ll take her temperature and get the medicine.” He headed into the bathroom while Mary stroked her hair.

“You got sick, sweets?”

“I’m fine. Daddy’s overreacting.”

“I don’t think so. You may have a tummy bug.”

“Then I should be in my own bed.”

“Not going to happen.”

 

David emerged a little later with what he needed. First, he took Emma’s temperature and frowned. 101.2.

 

“Fever,” he told her. He took out some pills and handed them over with a small cup of water. Emma took them with no protest and David held up a waste basket. “If you have to get sick again, there’s this.” He gently moved her to his side of the bed so she’d be closer to it and took the spot in the middle. “Mary, can you handle Neal if he wakes up again?”

“Of course,” she replied, smiling at how much he was fussing over their little girl. She didn’t like her sick, but he was just so sweet with her.

Emma just groaned. “You guys don’t have to do this, I can sleep alone when I’m sick.”

“You could choke on your vomit,” he told her, seriously. “Just try to get some sleep.”

 

She sighed, holding her blanket tight. After a minute, she snuggled up against her father’s chest and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her head.

 

“I know you feel yucky, but sleep will help you feel better.” He moved one arm so he could gently rub her stomach. She didn’t even protest and soon fell asleep.

 

She awoke hours later with the urgent need to throw up. Before she could move to get the waste basket, the contents spilled out onto David’s shirt. The sound woke him up and brought tears to her eyes. She hadn’t done that to him before, though it happened in one of her old foster homes. The foster parent had screamed at her for a good 30 minutes and then made her sleep in the bathroom so if she threw up again, it’d be easy to clean up. She knew, deep down that her dad would never do that to her, but she was still scared of his reaction. Tears from exhaustion, humiliation and overall feeling sick sprung to her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.

 

“Daddy, I’m sorry,” she croaked.

David blinked a few times, realizing the situation. When he saw how upset his daughter looked, his heart broke. “Oh Em,” he murmured. “Don’t worry about it, baby. You’re not feeling good, I’m not mad, you couldn’t help it.” He wiped away her tears with his thumb. “Don’t cry, it’s alright. Here, let me just go shower, okay? Daddy’ll be right back, I promise.” He was talking to her how he might Neal, but he didn’t care. She was his baby too. He carefully got out of bed and inspected the sheets for any vile, but came up clean. Mary wasn’t in the room and he noticed the sun was coming up, which meant it was time to get up anyway.

 

After a quick shower, he returned to the room, only to find the bed empty. Emma walked back in a moment later, looking pretty pale.

 

“Just wanted to brush my teeth,” she mumbled. “I can go back to my room.”

“You’re not going to, come on, get back in our bed.”

“I just threw up all over you. You shouldn’t want to take care of me.”

“I always want to take care of you. Now come on, your blankie’s in here anyway.”

 

Her pale cheeks flushed but she climbed back into her old spot. He took her temperature again but it hadn’t gone down, so he gave her some more medicine.

 

“Maybe you should go to the doctor,” he mused.

“Daddy no, it’s probably just a stomach bug. It’ll be gone within a day.”

“We’ll see how your fever goes.”

“You shouldn’t still be taking care of me, not after I threw up on you.”

“I told you, I’ll always take care of you.”

“Yeah, well…” She trailed off and he sighed. They were still learning about Emma’s past.

“You wanna talk about it?” He asked, sitting next to her. Emma shrugged. “May help to talk about it. I may not be able to fix the past, but I do want to know everything. Good, bad and the ugly.”

“I got sick on one of my old foster dads. It was an accident, he was just standing right in front of me asking why I was acting so weird and it just came out…literally.” She smiled a little, but her father didn’t. “Anyway, he was pissed and screamed at me. Then he had me sleep in the bathroom, because if I got sick again, he wanted it to be easier to clean up.”

David couldn’t believe someone could be so cruel, to anyone, but especially his baby. He pulled her close. “How old were you?”

“10, I think.”

“Well he was dead wrong. I would never make you sleep in the bathroom, that’s just cruel. And you can’t help when you get sick. It’s completely normal when you don’t feel good.” He rubbed her stomach. “Plus, Neal’s thrown up on me a couple of times.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Neal’s a baby and it’s more spit up than anything.”

“Still. You’re making up for lost time, since you never did it to me when you were a baby,” he teased.

The teen made a face. “Next, you’ll say me waking you up last night with my puke was also making up for missed experiences.”

“Of course it is.” David smiled. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine.”

“Your fever says otherwise.”

“Why’d you ask if you weren’t going to accept my answer?”

“Because I had blind faith that you might be honest.”

 

Mary walked in holding Neal.

 

“Still not feeling good, sweets?”

“She threw up again,” David explained before Emma could claim she was fine. “And she still has a fever. I’m sure it’s just a little virus.”

“If it doesn’t die down, we’ll take her to the doctor.”

“I’m sitting right here,” Emma pointed out.

“We know you are, sweets,” Mary told her.

“I know it’s my day off and I was going to take Neal off your hands, but I don’t want him catching this,” David told his wife.

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll keep him out of your hair.”

“Mama, wait. This is ridiculous. You should rest and let Dad take care of the baby, I’ll be fine on my own.” Emma went to get up, but David gently pushed her back down.

“You’ve got two options, sweets,” Mary told her. “One, you let your dad look after you or two, he tends to Neal but then I’ll be the one looking over you. And we all know how much you love that.”

 

Mary knew that her daughter loved her but they both knew as much as David fussed over her, his wife was ten times worse. Mary knew David wouldn’t let her get away with too much, but it’d be a lot more than with her. She wanted to take care of her daughter, but figured she’d let David have this one. With him being back at work, she had been the one getting to spend more time with their daughter lately.

 

“Alright, alright,” Emma grumbled. “Dad it is.”

“Aw, Daddy’s girl,” David cooed, causing an eye roll from the teen.

“We’ll come up and visit later,” Mary assured them. Neal reached out for his big sister, feeling a bit confused. “Not right now, Nealy. Emmy’s feeling a bit under the weather right now.”

“Emmy,” Neal repeated.

 

The room fell silent. Mary and David were grinning wide, while Emma was just in shock. That was the kid’s first word. She had been expecting it to be Mama or Dada. She figured that’s what her parents were want. After all, they were going to get to be around for all of his milestones.

 

“That’s right,” Mary said, proudly. “Emmy.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

David cocked an eyebrow. “What do you have to be sorry for?”

“I mean, his first word should be like Mama or Dada, right?”

The sheriff laughed. “Princess, every baby is different.”

“His first word is his big sister, who he clearly loves very much. How could we be upset over that?” Emma partially smiled, feeling a little special.

“Emmy,” Neal said again, his little voice sounding like music to his family’s ears.

“Emmy has to rest right now,” Mary explained. “But maybe if she’s feeling a little better later, you can sit with her and Daddy, okay? Sooner if your second word is Mama.” She winked at the baby and David rolled his eyes.

“It’ll be Dada, won’t it, big guy?”

“Emmy,” was the only response.

“Face it, his big sister is just so much cooler than his parents,” Emma teased, despite how dizzy she was feeling.

Mary just shook her head, smiling. “David, make sure she stays in bed and check her temperature every so often…”

“Mary, I’ve got this. I can take care of this baby, you take care of the other one.” Before Emma could protest that she wasn’t a baby, Mary kissed the top of her head and left with the baby. “I’m really surprised she’s actually not insisting that she take care of you.”

“Maybe she has mercy.”

“Your mom isn’t that bad when you’re ill.”

“When I was on bedrest last year, even when Whale said I could get up to use the bathroom alone, she stood outside the door like I would fall apart.”

“She just loves you. Trust me, you’re not the only one.” Emma gave him a curious look and he smiled. “Storytime?”

“Duh. We’ve got nothing but time until I puke again.”

David chuckled. “After we got married, I got the flu. I was a rookie and didn’t want to miss any work.”

“So, you hid being sick?”

“Yes, and if you ever do that, you’ll be fussed over more than you know what to do with,” he warned her. “Anyway, I went to work but the sheriff at the time could tell I was terribly sick. He knew I wouldn’t just leave at his request, so he made up some excuse about it being too slow. As soon as I walked through the door, your mother could tell. I was laying in bed with a thermometer in my mouth within 5 minutes.”

Emma giggled. “Sounds like Mama.”

“She would not let me leave bed until she was positive that I was well again. In fact, I think I was laid up 2 extra days just because she was paranoid.”

“That is sort of sweet.”

“I was not a very good patient.”

“Of course not. But to give Mama credit, she’s a patient nurse.”

“That she is, though a very demanding one at that.”

“You’re better though, right? I don’t really have to stay in bed all day?” He gave her a Look. “Daddy!”

“You’re sick, Emma. Resting won’t kill you.”

“We may kill each other.”

David chuckled and kissed her head. “I’ll go get you some ginger ale and crackers.” He saw her face and sighed. “You have to try to eat something.”

“I’ll just throw it up again.”

“At least try, for me, please?”

She sighed. “Alright, fine.”

“That’s my good girl. I’ll be right back.” He walked out of the room and headed down, gathering what he needed before going back up. He found his daughter flipping through the channels on T.V. “Anything good?”

“No, just a bunch of crappy stuff.”

“Language,” he told her, handing over the food and drink, ignoring her eye roll. “Eat.”

“I told you, I’m probably just going to throw it up again.”

“You have to try or you’re going to make yourself even more sick.” Emma’s bottom lip began to jut out but he held up his hand. “Don’t even go there.”

“But…”

“Just try.”

 

She reluctantly ate a few crackers and sipped the ginger ale. Sure enough, not 15 minutes later, she was emptying the contents of her stomach into the waste basket. She gently pulled away from David’s comforting hand on her back, giving him a small glare.

 

“Told you so.”

David rolled his eyes and took the basket to clean it out. “We’ll try again in a little bit.”

“We? As in you’ll eat for me?”

“You’re too smart for your own good, has anyone ever told you that?”

“You. Every day of my life.”

 

He chuckled and cleaned it out for her, before walking back in to take her temperature. It hadn’t gone down, though it hadn’t gone up either.

 

“I’m sorry you’re so sick,” he told her. “Maybe you should take a nap.”

“I’m not two.”

“No, but you’re sick and I know you didn’t get a lot of sleep.”

“I’m not going to take a nap.”

“I’ll make you a deal. Take a nap and when you wake up, you can spend some time downstairs with your mom and Neal. You can’t cuddle with him, but you can still be around him. And it’ll give a chance to wash the sheets and get some new ones on.” He could tell that she missed him, she normally spent at least some of the day with him and Mary. Their little bond was so cute.

“That’s not fair,” Emma whined. “Using the kid against me.”

“Just think of how happy it’d make him to see his Emmy.”

“You play dirty,” she retorted with a glare.

“Did it work?”

“…Maybe a little nap.”

David smiled. “I’ll wake you up if it’s going to affect your sleep.”

 

It didn’t take long for Emma to drift off to sleep. David kissed the top of her head and left the room, going downstairs to the living room. Mary was trying to clean up while Neal sat in his pack and play, looking like the saddest baby that ever lived.

 

“Aw, why is my big guy so upset?” He cooed, bending down to lift him out.

“He’s mad that I can’t hold him every second,” she replied with a laugh. “Normally Emma holds him if I have chores.”

“We’re probably spoiling him, you know. Granny says we’re just supposed to let him cry it out.”

Mary bit her lip, lowering the duster. “I hate doing that. I just can’t imagine all those times he was alone in the hospital, no one visiting him or anything…we couldn’t be there to help him.”

David sighed and walked closer, giving her a small kiss. “I know, I wish we could’ve been there and we would’ve, had we known.”

“I feel like we’re always saying that. I’m sure those people,” Mary said the last two words like she was talking about the filthiest thing on Earth. “Did the same to Emma when she was a baby.”

“We can’t change any of that now. All that matters is that they both have people that can get them when needed. But, I really don’t think we’re hurting him by picking him up whenever he wants. He feels safe, that’s what matters.”

Mary nodded and stroked Neal’s cheek, the baby was now much happier. “Where’s our girl?”

“I got her to take a nap.”

His wife gasped. “Did you drug her?”

“Nope, even better, used the baby,” he slowly bounced his son and smirked. “Told her if she got some rest, while I changed the sheets she could hang out with you guys. Not holding him or anything, but at least sitting in the same room. I think she misses him.”

“It really is sweet how deeply she cares about him. How is her temperature? Did she keep everything down? How is she feeling?”

“Slow down, tiger mama,” David teased. “Her temp is the same, she couldn’t keep her crackers down and she claims to be fine, but that’s Emma for she’s not.”

“Should we take her to the doctor?”

“Not yet, it’s probably a passing bug. If she’s still throwing up tomorrow, then yes.”

* * *

Emma woke up 3 hours later, feeling a little better. Remembering her dad’s offer, she got out of bed and headed into her room to shower. Once she was changed in new sweats, she headed downstairs. David looked up from the baby.

 

“What are you doing?”

“You said I could leave prison,” she reminded him. “I abided by your terms.”

“Right, right.” Neal started reaching for her and David rubbed his back. “Sorry bud, Emmy’s still not feeling well. She can’t hold you.”

“He doesn’t understand,” Emma mumbled, defeated. “Maybe this is just mean.”

“He’s a baby, he won’t remember this,” David assured her.

“Uh huh, whatever.” She dropped down on the couch. The sheriff smiled a little and sat beside her.

“He knows how much you love him. But you don’t want him getting sick, do you?”

“Of course I don’t.”

“Then you two will just have to go through a little withdrawal.”

 

Mary came back in and took Neal from David so he could go do the sheets.

 

“How are you feeling, sweets?”

“A little better.”

“Do you want to try to eat something?” She caught the look on her face. “Sweets.”

“I threw up last time.”

“Let’s at least check your temperature.” Mary lowered Neal into the pack and play and left the room, returning a moment later with the device. It had gone down a degree. “Even 100.”

“That’s good, at least.”

“Yes, so will you eat something? Please?”

Emma sighed. “Applesauce?”

“Yes, I’ll be right back.” She walked back into the other room to get her some and when she returned, she found Emma standing over her brother’s pack and play.

“I’m fine Nealy, don’t worry. Mama and Daddy are just overreacting,” she whispered. “But they’re right about me not holding you. I’ll be able to soon, though.”

“Aw.” Emma turned around quickly at the sound of her mother’s voice.

“Sorry, I was just…he looked sad and…”

“Emma, it’s fine. He’s smiling, he likes the sound of your voice.”

 

The teen lowered herself back down on the couch.

 

“When I was little, in one of my homes, there was a baby. None of us were allowed to go near her,” she mumbled. “They wanted to adopt her, so no one was good enough to touch their precious chosen one.”

Mary frowned, sitting next to her. “You know that’s not why we’re keeping you from your brother, right?”

“Yeah, I don’t want him getting sick either. It’s just for people who wanted her so badly, she just laid in her crib a lot. I think they wanted a doll, not a baby.”

“We would never do that. To you or your brother, we’ll never leave you when you need us.”

“I know.”

 

Emma ate the applesauce and Mary lifted the baby back out, sitting near Emma.

 

“Do I really have to go back to bed once Dad is done?” Emma asked.

“Yeah, baby.”

“But my temperature went down.”

“I know, after you took a nap. If you keep resting, this whole bug will be gone a lot sooner.”

“I hate being sick.”

“It sucks, doesn’t it?”

 

When David came back down, he sat beside his daughter and she laid her head on his shoulder.

 

“I suppose a few more minutes won’t hurt,” he said, smiling at his wife. “Another movie?”

“Sure. And this time, we can watch The Breakfast Club,” Mary told him. Emma’s eyes lit up, in spite of her pale face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this relatively fluffy chapter. It’s funny, after I started writing this, I got really sick which delayed me finishing it. Still sick, but on antibiotics now, so hopefully all will clear up. But it’s just funny how life imitates art haha. Anyway, as always, thanks for all the reviews! And if you haven’t already, go check out the outtake I posted to The Lost Get Found. For those who were disappointed for the lack of a Father’s Day chapter, it’ll make up for it.


	5. Too Good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Hope you all are having a great holiday season, it’s snuck up on us so quickly! And thank you all for the well wishes, I am feeling much better now! I just wanted to make a note to those asking for VP Mary vs. Rebellious Emma, it’s coming, I promise. As of now the story is taking place in the summer but there will be a little time jump soon, so you can see Mama Snow balancing being a mama and VP.
> 
> For the Swanfire readers...this is for you.

Emma’s stomach bug passed as quickly as she hoped. She was able to convince Mary that no further bedrest was required and that she could rejoin her friends in all their fun. It had only been a couple of days, but it had felt like an eternity being laid up in bed, especially since she hated it is so much. The group decided to spend the day at the beach and to Emma’s slight dismay, Killian showed up. She liked the boy fine, he was a friend, but Bae was going to be there and the last time they were all around, it caused him to act weird.

 

“Why did you invite him?” She mumbled to Lily as they set up the chairs.

“I didn’t.” Emma shot a look to Ruby who held up her hands in defense.

“I would rather not see Bae shoot lasers out of his eyes,” she said, throwing her dark hair back in a ponytail.

“Then how’d he know we were going to be here?”

“I don’t know, but it’s a free beach.”

“None of this would be a problem if you and Baelfire just stopped being stupid,” Lily told her friend. The blonde pretended to be confused. “Don’t give me that look Nolan. You two have been tiptoeing the line of just friends for months. Killian would stop flirting with you if he thought that you weren’t available.”

“I’m not going to ask Bae out just to get Killian off my back,” Emma said.

“Then do it because you like him. What are you so afraid of? I mean, don’t you at least wonder what it’d be like?”

 

Of course she had wondered, she had wondered it a lot for a while. Emma sighed, adjusting her cover up, glancing over to where Baelfire and Killian stood chatting. At least the two seemed to get along when she wasn’t around. The blonde ran her fingers through her hair and slid her toes back into her flip flops.

 

“I’ll be back,” she said. Lily and Ruby exchanged a beaming look. “Don’t look so obvious.”

“Tell us everything,” Lily said and Emma began to wonder which one of them was actually more excited.

 

Emma carefully walked over and that seemed to get the talking to cease. Killian gave her a once over, smirking and the girl just gave him a small smile.

 

“Killian, can I talk to Bae alone for a minute?”

“Sure, love. I’ll go help Lily with her chair.”

Once he was gone, Bae raised an eyebrow. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I um, just wanted to talk.”

“So you said.”

“You know what I meant a couple weeks ago right? When I said that I didn’t have feelings for Killian because I liked someone else right?”

Bae smiled a little. “Yeah, I caught the drift.”

“And you clearly seemed relieved.”

“Well, yeah.”

“Is there a reason?”

The curly haired boy started laughing. “Are we really doing this?”

Emma smiled. “Yeah, I guess.”

“I’m not a really big um…words person.”

“Neither am I.”

“One of us just has to bite the bullet.”

 

There was a silence as they just stared at each other. Suddenly Emma felt a tiny pebble hit her back. She whipped around and saw Lily standing a few feet away, arms folded. Emma rolled her eyes and turned back around.

 

“If one of us doesn’t say it, I think Lily will,” she stage whispered.

Baelfire grinned. “Do you want to see a movie with me tomorrow night?”

Emma let out a deep breath, feeling like a million butterflies were dancing in her stomach. “No.” Her best friend’s face fell and she started giggling. “I’m just kidding!”

He rolled his eyes and playfully shoved her. “I’ll pick you up at 7.”

“Okay. It’s a date.”

Bae’s cheeks tinted pink. “It’s a date.”

 

Emma turned around and headed back to Lily who pulled her into a big hug, squeezing her tight.

 

“You two are finally no longer morons,” she announced.

“We so were awaiting your validation, Lilith,” Baelfire replied, sarcastically.

 

The rest of the morning was spent with the group just hanging out and joking around. Bae seemed a lot more relaxed around Killian and the other boy seemed to pick up on what was going on. He didn’t seem to annoyed by it, thankfully. Once they were done, Bae gave Emma a ride home, Killian taking Lily and Ruby.

 

“So…7 tomorrow night?” Emma asked when they pulled up at her house.

“Yeah. Unless you’ve changed your mind since Lily is no longer standing two centimeters behind us.”

The blonde giggled. “No, I think I’m good.”

“Great. Decide what you want to see, though I don’t think there’s anything good out.”

“Even better, we can make fun of it.”

“Great.”

 

They sat there for a minute, neither ready to move. Finally, she spoke up.

 

“Look, I just want to get this out of the way. It’ll make tomorrow night less awkward.”

“What are you…”

 

Before he could finish the sentence, her lips crashed with his. He was shocked, but deepened it. Emma hoped she was doing it correctly, it was her first kiss. She wasn’t sure how she expected it to feel, but the butterflies were back. When she pulled off, both of them were bright pink.

 

“I just thought sitting through a whole movie…both of us worried about it…”

“No…it’s uh…always wondered what that would be like,” he mumbled, feeling happily flustered.

Emma bit her lip, squealing on the inside. She never got like that, ever. She didn’t understand how a boy could make her feel such a way. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

 

She hopped out of the car, raced up the steps and went inside, leaning against the door. She shut her eyes, still feeling the kiss on her lips. That feeling in her stomach wasn’t going away. Finally, she found words.

 

“Mama!”

 

Mary rushed into the room, feeling panicked until she saw the happiness on her daughter’s face. David, who was working the night shift which meant he was home, followed holding the baby. Mary raised an eyebrow, trying not to jump to conclusions. But she knew that look, she had seen it on so many young girls over the years, hell she used to see it on her own face.

 

“Did you…” Emma nodded, happily. Mary couldn’t help but let out an aw as she pulled her daughter into her arms, hugging her tightly. The teen hugged her mom back tighter, doing her best not to jump up and down. This wasn’t like her, not one bit, but she couldn’t help it. “Oh my baby girl.” Mary kissed the top of her head, hugging her tighter.

 

David, meanwhile, had never felt more lost in his entire life. He looked down at Neal, who was paying more attention to the toy in his hand than anything else.

 

“What is going on with your mother and sister, bud? I don’t speak girl,” he said. The girls didn’t hear him or if they did, they ignored him.

Mary pulled away from Emma to cup her face. “Was it…”

“Yeah,” Emma nodded.

“Aww!”

The teen rolled her eyes. “Mama.”

“Don’t Mama me. My baby, oh.” She hugged her again, kissing her cheek. “So is anything going to…”

“Tomorrow night.”

 

Mary let out a small sigh, partially content, the other a little sad. How was Emma growing up this much already? Sometimes she forgot that she had only come into her life almost 2 years ago. Her baby girl had her first date! But how could she be sad when her daughter was clearly so happy?

 

“Um, would someone like to fill me in?” David asked, stepping forward.

Emma looked up at her mom, her happiness shifting a bit. Mary sighed again, putting an arm around her daughter. “Well David, tomorrow night…our daughter will be going out.”

“With who? Lily?”

“No, not Lily. Bae.”

“Why would it be a big deal that she’s going out with…”

 

He trailed off, looking between the two. That’s when it all clicked. Emma’s big goofy grin, Mary getting all sentimental mommy...

 

“Nuh uh,” he said.

“Dad,” Emma rolled her eyes.

“You’re not going on a date. You’re far too young.”

“I’m 15!”

“Thank you for proving my point. We’ll revisit this in another 15 years. Maybe.”

 

Emma folded her arms, turning to her mom, giving her a pleading look. Mary gave her a small smile, patting her shoulder.

 

“Honey,  why don’t you start going through your closet, I’ll be up in a minute to help you pick something.”

“There’s nothing to pick out because she’s not going,” David interrupted.

“Yes, I am,” Emma told him, heading towards the stairs. She knew her mother would talk some sense into him, she had to.

 

Once Emma was up in her room, David turned to his wife, still slowly bouncing Neal.

 

“Okay, what was that about?”

Mary raised an eyebrow. “What was what about?”

“You know what. You just undermined me. I thought we agreed never to do that in front of the kids.”

His wife sighed and lead him into the kitchen, starting to fix some tea. “David, she’s 15 years old.”

“You two keep saying that as if it’s going to change things.”

“Because it does. This is around the age that kids start dating.”

“Not all kids. Some don’t get asked.”

“Yes, but she clearly did. By Bae, at least it’s a boy we know.”

“A boy who’s been up in her room without his shirt on.”

Mary gave him a pointed look. “Are we still holding that against him after all this time? Need I remind you Emma’s role and that it was completely innocent.”

“It made her feel uncomfortable,” he reminded her.

“That wasn’t necessarily his fault,” his wife countered.

“Right and look, I’m not saying he’s going to do anything…and if he did I’d kill him,” David ignored his wife’s smirk. “But anything could set her off. Something as innocent as holding hands could give her a panic attack.”

“She’s doing a lot better.”

“She still has panic attacks and nightmares.”

“Yes, but anything could be a trigger. We can’t just keep her from being a normal teenager.”

“I’m not saying keep her from being a normal teenager.”

Mary sighed and walked closer, taking Neal from him and setting the baby onto his playmat on the floor. “Is this really about Emma’s PTSD?”

“Of course it is.”

“It’s not possibly about her growing up and no boy being good enough for her?” David went to speak but she held up her hand. “Before you respond remember that I know you and I can spot a lie.”

David sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look, she’s growing up. I get that. Is it easy? No, but I accept it. But no guy is good enough for her. She’s my princess, she’s the most precious thing on this Earth outside Neal. Her heart is already fragile given all she’s been through. What if this guy breaks her heart?”

“And what if he makes her really happy? You’re going to deny Emma, your princess, happiness?”

He narrowed his eyes. “That’s not fair.”

“Well neither is banning her from dating.”

 

He sighed, leaning against the counter and tipping his head back. Mary smiled. Despite how wrong he was about Emma not being able to date, she had to admit that the protective side of her husband was adorable. He really did adore Emma. She was his little girl and he would stop at no cost to keep her safe. He would also do anything in the world to make her happy.

 

“Why does a boy have to make her happy?” David mumbled. “Why can’t her cat or her friends?”

Mary giggled, wrapping her arms around his torso. “Those things do too, Bae’s just an addition.”

“He used to fall under the friend category.”

“I hate to break it to you, but I saw this coming from a mile away.”

“And you couldn’t have warned me?”

“I didn’t want to give you a heart attack,” she patted his chest and gave him a little smile, the one that she knew could make him crack. Sure enough, one of his own broke across his face.

“Stop trying to cute me into this. That only works with Emma.”

“Oh, does it?”

“Yes, but I happen to know she’s not happy with me right now so she won’t try it.”

Mary rolled her eyes. “Look, she’s going. I know we typically make choices as a team and every other one, we will. But as someone who was once a teenage girl, I see the importance behind this. Like you said, she is only 15 so there will be rules. Dates have to be in public…”

“I don’t know where else they would be,” he warned.

“Curfew in place, no having him over when we’re not home, he’s still not allowed in her room, same over at his house. Though I’m sure Ralph Gold is going to agree.” David still didn’t look convinced. “If he hurts her, which I can’t see him doing because of how nice he is around her, then you know we’ll be here to pick up the pieces.”

“Of course we will, we always do.”

“But in order for us to do that, we have to show that we trust her.”

David sighed. “Of course I trust Emma, it’s that boy I don’t trust. I don’t care how sweet he is to her, he’s still not good enough.”

“And no boy ever will.” Mary pecked his lips. “Don’t you know that you’ll always be her number one guy?” He looked away, his cheeks turning a little pink. “I know that’s another fear of yours. But you do know that you’re her knight in shining armor.”

“She doesn’t seem to think it right now.”

“Because she’s a teenage girl and you’re being overprotective but just as much as you adore her, she adores you right back and she’s always going to be a Daddy’s girl. You broke down her walls, taught her how a father is supposed to treat a daughter, showed her what a real man is. That’s not going to go away over some teenage boy.”

David looked down into her eyes, letting out one last sigh. “Alright, fine. But I don’t like this, not one bit.”

“I know, but we have to adjust.”

“We?” He cocked an eyebrow.

“She’s my baby too, you think I’m not worried about all the same things you are?” She gave him a sad smile. “But it’s just par for the course with raising a teenager. Plus…I have a bow and arrow and I will hurt him if he hurts my baby girl.”

David smiled and gave her a kiss. “So long as we’re on the same page.”

“We are. Now, your shift is going to start soon. Before you leave, you’re going to tell Emma that she can go.”

His smile faded. “Can’t you do that?”

“No, she needs to hear it from you.”

“But then I have to admit I was wrong.”

Mary laughed, lifting Neal up into her arms. “You and Emma are more alike than I think even you realize.”

“Not a bad thing.”

“Of course not.” She looked down at Neal. “And who are you gonna be like Nealy, huh? Are you gonna be like Daddy or Mama.”

“Mama,” Neal babbled.

Mary’s eyes lit up and she snuggled him close. “Yes, that’s right, mama,” she whispered. She noticed the slight annoyed look in David’s eyes, though she could tell he wasn’t really upset and was at least a little happy for her. “Oh stop, Emma called you Daddy before she called me Mom.”

“I thought it wasn’t a competition,” he teased.

“It’s so not.”

 

And yet, David could swear she saw Mary giving their son several high fives. So much for being a gracious winner.

 

After getting for work, he took in a deep breath. He knew he should talk to Emma anyway, he wasn’t going to be home until late and he didn’t want to leave things were her pissed at him. He was granted permission to enter and found her sitting on her bed, texting. She glanced up and looked almost surprised to see him.

 

“Where’s Mom?”

“She’s off celebrating that Neal said mama.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Guess even the kid knows who the cooler parent is.”

David sighed, sitting beside her. “I know you think I’m a little protective…”

“A little?” The teen gave him a look. “Try tremendously.”

“Do you not understand why?” Emma shrugged, looking away. She had a feeling. “Look, you are a very, very special girl, Em. You’ve been through a lot and even if you hadn’t, I’d have the same feelings. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“I can protect my own heart, thank you very much,” she mumbled.

“I know that you can hold your own, but as your father, it is my job to protect you and remind you just how amazing you are. No boy is ever going to be good enough, because you’re too good for all of them.”

The teen’s eyes rolled again. “Think you may be a bit biased there.”

“No, it’s the truth.”

“Do you really not trust me?”

“Of course I trust you,” David told her, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “I just don’t trust others.”

“You know Bae.”

“Yes, but this is different than before. I know that you’re a good kid. And even if Bae has the purest of intentions…which he better if he knows what’s good for him…I know that you…you um…” He didn’t want to upset her, but wanted to find the right words. Emma understood what he was getting at.

“You know I could be triggered just hanging out with friends,” she reminded him. “It has before. I’m very much aware what I’m doing. It is my headspace after all.”

 

That much was the truth, it’s why she had put off pursuing anything. There were no guarantees but she wanted to wait until she at least thought she was ready.

 

“I talked to Archie about it.”

David raised an eyebrow. “You did?”

“Yeah. Not about Bae, but just you know,” she shrugged. “I am 15, girls my age date. He thinks I’m ready.” She gave him a small smirk. “You gonna deny the doctor’s orders.”

Her father rolled his eyes. “I highly doubt Archie told you to go out and date.”

“No, but he said if I felt I was ready, then he thought I was.”

David slowly nodded. “Look, I just need you to know that you shouldn’t ever accept less than you deserve. So, if Bae ever mistreats you, don’t put up with it.” He looked at her, his eyes full with love and fatherly protection. “You’re worthy of feeing safe and being treated like a princess.”

Emma smiled. “So…does this mean I can go?”

He took a deep breath. “Yes, you can go.” Suddenly a pair of arms were thrown around his neck. David was caught off guard, but hugged her tighter, cradling the back of her head. “Whoa, there.”

“I know it’s not easy for you to allow this,” she said. “So, thanks.”

“I meant every word that I said,” he told her, hugging her tighter.

“I know…thanks for that too.” Emma would never admit it, but as annoying as her father’s overprotectiveness could be…it was nice. No one had ever bothered to give her a talk like that. And it meant a lot coming from her father.

“Anytime Princess.” He kissed the top of her head and she pulled away to kiss her cheek. “Your mom will go over the rules with you. And I’ll drive tomorrow.”

“He’s picking me up.” She saw her dad grimace. “Isn’t that like the gentlemanly thing to do?”

“I don’t like you dating someone that can drive.”

“Bae gives me rides all the time.”

“Yeah, but...” He trailed off, sighing. “I’ll make sure to remind him that I’m the sheriff and if he so much as goes one mile over the speed limit…”

“Dad! You’re not going to embarrass me are you?”

David gave her a smile. “Oh Em.” He ruffled her hair, which just earned him a glare. “I’m your father. It’s my job.”

“No threatening him!”

“We’ll see.” He stood up, checking his watch. “So…good talk?”

“’Til the end. Why do you have to be the sheriff?”

“Because it drives you nuts, Princess. I have to go or I’ll be late. See you in the morning.” HE bent down to kiss her cheek. “Love you.”

“I love you too, I guess,” she said, sticking out her tongue. His being protective wasn’t cute anymore.

 

A little after David left, Mary came up with Neal. Emma gave the baby her blanket to cuddle with while they looked through her closet. The teen was not typically this kind of girl, she had only ever done this once before.

  
“My first day of school, remember?” Emma reminded her mother. “Before the power went out.”

“Oh yeah,” Mary grinned. “It was such a little moment, but you were slowly opening up to me.” She pushed a few hangers out of the way. “So, your father talk to you?”

“Yes, and it went fine…until he said he was going to have a little chat with Bae. Can you please talk to him about that?”

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t embarrass you,” Mary told her. “But you do know why he’s acting like this, don’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m too good, I deserve the best…”

“Don’t make it sound like that, because it’s true.”

Emma groaned. “Mom, not you too.”

“It’s the truth, Emma. Look, maybe it’s time we had a little talk of our own…”

“Mama, come on…”

“Sit,” Mary pointed to the bed. Emma sighed and sat back down, letting her mom sit next to her. “Now I know your dad probably covered most of this, but you need to know that you never have to do more than you want to…”

“Oh my God, Mom…”

“Emma, this is serious. You should never accept being uncomfortable just because a boy wants to do something. You are in control just as much as he is and it’s okay to say no. You know that, right?” The teen nodded, squirming a bit. “I know this is a hard subject for you…”

“I know that I have the right to feel safe,” Emma whispered. “I mean, I’m not dumb enough to think that I can’t prevent something from happening, but unfortunately I know a lot about this.”

Mary bit her lip. “Just know, that if you are ever in a situation that makes you feel unsafe or wrong, you can call me or Dad and we will come get you. And you do whatever you can to get out of it.”

“Bae’s not like that,” she said. “I trust him…and you know I don’t just trust anyone.”

“I do. And I think it’s great that you finally do, I don’t want to take that away from you. I just need you to know all this. I’m your mother, I hate the fact that I couldn’t protect you in the past,” Mary shut her eyes and Emma took her hand.

“Stop,” she whispered. “Please. There’s nothing you could’ve done.”

“I’m a mom. I’m always going to wish I could’ve.” She cupped Emma’s face. “I can now, though. So please, no matter what happens, if you feel comfortable doing things, that’s good. Just know you can talk to me about it.”

Emma bit her lip. “And you won’t go all mama bear on me?”

Mary gave her a small smile. “I promise to be someone you can talk to.” _And then just go all mama bear later…_

 

The teen smiled, she knew her mom. She knew she could talk to her about stuff, if needed.

 

The brunette uncapped her daughter’s face. “There is one more thing we need to talk about. It’s not necessarily going to be fun…but oh well…as I said, you never have to do anything more than what makes you feel comfortable…”

Emma had a feeling of what this was going to be. “Mama…”

“And you are only 15, so I hope this is a thought far, far away from your mind. But when that day comes in the very, very distant future, it is important to remember a few things. Having sex…”

Emma glanced over at Neal, who was currently putting her blanket in his mouth. “Mom! Not in front of the kid!”

Mary rolled her eyes, gently removing the blanket and giving Neal the pacifier she kept in  her pocket. “Honey, he’s not going to remember any of it.”

“He might!”

“Emma. It is just a very big deal and it’s not something you should enter into lightly…”

“Nice wording…” Her mom’s look silenced her.

“And when you and your partner, whoever they may be, choose to do this, you need to be protected. Sex…”

“Can you please stop saying that word? Please?”

Mary couldn’t help but laugh at how red her daughter was turning. “Alright, fine. Making love leads to not only pregnancy but runs the risk of STDs. Which is why protection is very important. You can’t rely on the guy alone.”

“I won’t, I won’t. I will get protection, I will be doubly safe in 20 years or however long when I actually do it. Can this be over now?”

 

Mary shook her head, kissing the top of her daughter’s head.

 

“Yes, for now.” She stood up, heading back for the closet. Emma just looked back down at her brother, envying his innocence at the moment. Who knew out of the two talks her parents gave her that day, David’s protective dad speech was going to be the easier one!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there we have it, Emma will be going on her first date in the next chapter! As always, this is first and foremost a Charming family story though, but even with dating there are Daddy Charming and Mama Snow moments haha. As always, let me know what you guys wanna see. Thank you for all the amazing reviews, they always put a smile to my face.


	6. First Date

David paced the living room the following evening. Neal sat on his playmat, holding his favorite teddy bear, sucking on the ear. The little one was teething, so everything ended up in his mouth. His father was too distracted to think about it.

 

“I just don’t understand why I agreed to this,” he vented to the 11-month-old. “I mean, she’s only 15! 15! Just a little girl, my little girl.” The baby stared at him, curiously. “She should be home, with us. Right? You like spending time with Emmy, don’t you?”

“Emmy,” Neal babbled from behind the ear. It was then the father realized what he was doing and gently crouched in front of him, pulling the ear out and replacing it with a teething ring.

“I’m not being crazy, am I? We’re the only guys in Emmy’s life, right? We’ll protect her.”

“Emmy,” his son repeated, now clearly looking for his sister and David couldn’t help but laugh. His son was so adorable. He already felt so close to his big sister. Coming up short of the girl, his blue eyes grew sad.

“Aw, don’t worry. Emmy will be down soon.” David stood up, holding the boy close in his arms. “To go out with _him_.”

“Mama,” Neal babbled on.

“Mama’s up with Emmy. She thinks all of this is a good idea, but I don’t know. She’s not always right is she?” Neal sucked on his teething ring, clearly not really knowing all of what his father was going on about. He just liked the sound of his voice. “Thank you for the help.”

 

He looked out the window and saw Baelfire’s car pulling up in the driveway. If he rang the bell or even knocked loud enough, Emma would come flying down. David had been warned about being nice to Bae. He’d be nice alright, as nice as a father could be to his baby girl’s date. But he needed to have a few words with the boy first. In his mind, he was being more than fair, he had opted not to be cleaning his gun upon the boy’s arrival. (Though part of that was out of fear of his wife, who threatened him couch time if he did.) David opened the door before the teenager could ring or knock.

 

“Hi Mr. Nolan,” Bae said, a smile on his face. He smiled wider at the baby in his arms. “Hiya Neal. He’s gotten so big.”

“Yeah. He has. Come in Baelfire,” David responded, coolly. He stepped aside and allowed the boy to walk in, quickly shutting the door. “Emma’s finishing getting ready.”

“Oh, okay. I know I’m early, the movie doesn’t start until…” He trailed off upon seeing his sheriff’s face. He had only seen that look once before, after the whole spilled hot chocolate misunderstanding a year and a half ago. He should’ve known it was coming. His own father had wanted to trail along to have a little chat with Emma. Thankfully, Belle had given him Gideon to handle.

“So, you’re going to the movies?” David asked, using his best interrogation voice.

“Yes. There’s that new Marvel flick...sir,” Bae shifted nervously, sticking his hands in his pockets. “And then we were going to go by Granny’s for some hot chocolate.”

“Uh huh. Interesting.” His baby blue eyes narrowed. “So, what are your intentions exactly with Emma?”

Heat crept upon the teen’s cheeks. “Intentions? I mean, we’re just going to the movies…”

“Yes, but do you intend on dating her after this?”

“Well, I mean I was going to see how tonight went,” Baelfire tried to joke, only to realize what a mistake that was. His mouth could get him in trouble.

David eyed him for a moment, before lowering Neal onto the floor. “Emma isn’t some conquest.”

“I know, I’m very aware. I wouldn’t dream of doing anything to her,” Bae told him, quickly.

“She’s a very special girl.”

“I agree.”

“She’s my whole world, her mother’s too,” he continued. “And I know you know all she’s been through.”

“I would never imagine adding to her pain,” the brunette told him, sincerely.

“Good, because I hate seeing my baby girl cry. When I do, I want to find the source and well…tears are the least of that person’s worries.” He had to hide a smile as he watched Bae gulp a little.

 

Upstairs, Mary was finishing up braiding Emma’s hair.

 

“One of these days I’ll learn how to do that myself,” she promised her mom.

Mary smiled. “Don’t you dare, I love doing this.” She tied the band around so it’d stay in place. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I have a million butterflies in my stomach,” Emma admitted.

“When your father came to pick me up for our first day, I was a wreck.” The mother laughed. “I must have driven my roommate crazy from how hard I paced the floor.”

“But I thought when you met Daddy, you were a badass.”

“I was, but then I realized just how much I liked him. I knew something about him was different,” Mary continued, allowing the curse to pass. She loved that her daughter thought of her as a badass. “I changed my outfit three times, couldn’t decide how I wanted to do my makeup or jewelry. But I finally landed on this…” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a ladybug choker. “I was thinking, if you want, you could wear it. It matches your outfit.” She gestured to Emma’s red flowy top and white jeans.

Emma beamed, touched. “I’d love to Mama, I promise I’ll take good care of it.”

“I know you will,” Mary told her, hooking it around her neck. She let out a small sigh. “Baby, just remember you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. You’re in total control.”

“I know,” Emma put her hand on top of her mom’s and gave her a small smile.

“If you don’t feel comfortable at any point, call me or your father, we’ll come get you.”

“I will.”

Mary kissed her cheek. “Good.” She watched as Emma stood up, grabbing her bag. “You look beautiful.”

“You always say that.”

“And I always mean it.”

 

Emma glanced out the window and saw Bae’s car there. Her eyes widened.

 

“He’s here!”

“Well stay calm, we’ll go get the door…”

“No, I mean, I think he’s been inside…with Dad!”

Mary checked. Sure enough, it didn’t look like anyone was in the car and she hadn’t heard the bell ring, but she had a feeling her sneaky husband was behind that. “Deep breaths, your father knows he’s to be on his best behavior. Just relax, you’re going to have fun tonight.”

“Unless Dad’s already killed him.”

“Your father wouldn’t have killed him, come on. Let’s go.”

 

The two girls headed downstairs. Neal instantly crawled over and Mary scooped him up, looking over at her husband and daughter’s date. Bae looked freaked out and David was just standing there, glaring at him. She let out a small cough and they turned to face them. Bae instantly relaxed, smiling at Emma.

 

“You look really nice, Em.”

“Thanks,” she replied, a tiny blush going across her cheeks. “You look good too.”

“Well, you two better be off,” Mary said. “Your movie will be starting soon.”

“Bye Mama, bye Nealy,” she told them, kissing her brother’s forehead and mom’s cheek. She went to do the same with her father, but he pulled her into a tight hug. Feeling the heat her return to her cheeks, she patted his back, hoping he’d let go but to no avail. “Dad,” she grumbled.

“I love you baby girl,” he told her. She blushed harder and got out of his grip.

“Love you too.”

“Be back by 10,” Mary told her.

“Will do, bye.” She quickly grabbed Bae’s hand and walked out the door before her father could say anything more. Mary cast her husband a look.

“What?” He asked, feigning innocence.

“What’d you say to that boy?”

“Nothing, I simply asked him his intentions with Emma…”

“Intentions? This isn’t the 1940s!”

“Well, I reminded him that our daughter is no conquest and made it clear he was not to make her cry.” He saw his wife roll her eyes. “What? You want him to?”

“No, I just…” She sighed, rubbing Neal’s back. “I can’t be mad at you for being overprotective, but you can’t embarrass her like that.”

“She’s my princess. If she has to date, then I have to make sure that he’s going to treat her right.”

Mary walked over, wrapping an arm around his waist, sensing that he was nervous. “She’s going to be okay, you know. Emma’s tough.”

“But it’s my job to protect her. I couldn’t for so long…”

“I know. I want to protect her from ever getting hurt again either. Unfortunately, this is just something we don’t control.”

 

David frowned. Maybe he couldn’t stop Bae from breaking up with his daughter and hurting her in that way, but he could at least assure her first date went well. He just had to find the right time…

* * *

“What’d he say to you?” Emma asked Bae as they got in his car and headed down the street.

“Oh you know…nothing much.”

“Bae,” she sent him a look.

“He wanted to know my intentions.”

Emma cringed. “Oh my God.”

“To which I turned into a joke…yeah, that didn’t turn out well.”

The teen girl rolled her eyes. “And what’d he say after that?”

“That you are no conquest, which I agreed with. And I was told tears would be the least of my problems if I made you cry.” He saw his date burying her head in her hands and laughed. “Em, don’t sweat it, seriously.”

“He is the most embarrassing parent alive. I swear.”

“My dad wanted to come and have a very similar talk with you.” That got her looking up.

“I guess I’m lucky I chose my first date to be with a guy who’s father is just as protective as mine.”

Bae laughed again. “I think it’s sweet. I didn’t plan on hurting you anyway and I want to go out with you. If dealing with your dad’s little speech is all I have to go through to date you, it’s worth it.”

 

A small smile went across her lips and she felt herself blushing again. Soon they were at the movies and headed inside. Bae refused to let her pay for the tickets.

 

“Oh come on,” she said. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those guys.”

“I asked you out,” he reminded her as they headed to the snack counter. “So, I pay.”

“I’m paying for the snacks.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Oh yes I am. If you refuse, then I’ll just call Killian,” she smirked as he rolled his eyes.

“You play dirty, Nolan.”

 

After getting their popcorn, soda and gummy bears, they headed into the theater. They argued for about 5 minutes over seating before Emma won, getting her spot right in the middle.

 

“So, first date and nothing changes,” Bae grumbles. “You’re still bossy.”

“It’s who I am,” she said. She suddenly got a little nervous, what if he didn’t want that in a girl? But to her relief, he was smirking as he sat beside her. He held out the box of candy and she gratefully accepted.

 

Meanwhile, David had bided his time and then pretended to get a call from the station. He told Mary that Graham had an unexpected emergency and he had to go cover. He could tell that she wasn’t completely convinced, but gave him the benefit of the doubt anyway. He parked a block away from the theater and bought the ticket, heading in. The coming attractions had already started, so he just slipped in the back. It wasn’t a very packed theater and he could spot Emma, though luckily he was out of sight. Just as he was sliding further down in his seat, he heard a harsh whisper.

 

“Sheriff?”

He looked up and saw Ralph Gold sitting beside him. He cocked an eyebrow. “Mr. Gold?” he whispered back.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m uh…seeing a movie. What are you doing here?”

“Seeing a movie.”

“Do you not trust my daughter with your son?”

“I could ask the same about my boy with your daughter.”

 

David felt a little offended. Ralph was paranoid over Emma hurting Bae? His daughter was an amazing girl, she was his princess. She would never hurt anyone intentionally…

 

At the same time, he supposed he could see his side. The whole thing hadn’t just been about Emma’s gender or even the gender of her date. Had she dated a girl, he would feel the same way. And in 14 years when he was in this position with Neal, he’d probably feel the same way. His son was a precious little thing. He couldn’t have him getting hurt either.

 

Neither said anything else, they just watched the kids, knowing they couldn’t judge the other father.

 

The teens were oblivious to what was going on rows behind them. Emma started getting that nervous feeling again, so she threw a popcorn kernel at Bae’s neck. He narrowed his eyes and tossed a gummy bear at her hair. She giggled and took the initiative to hold his hand. It felt sweaty, just like hers. She was surprised the perspiration didn’t make them slide apart. But instead, they just let their fingers lace together. Maybe this wasn’t going to be as bad as they originally thought.

* * *

Mary realized they were running low on diapers. Neal had been with them for over a month, she was quite impressed with herself that they had lasted so long. She simply got him all set to go out and headed to the market. She held the car seat over her arm as she headed down the correct aisle, trying to find her brand of choice. That’s when she heard a familiar Australian voice.

 

“Mary Margaret?” She turned around and saw Belle standing there, Gideon in a little sling around her chest.

Mary smiled. “Hey Belle, hi Gideon,” she stroked the baby’s forehead. “Isn’t he just precious?”

“Precious but poops a lot,” the fellow mother said as she held up the pack of diapers.

Mary laughed, grabbing Neal’s. “Ah yes, as cute as they are, they do tend to make messes don’t they?”

“Oh my goodness, Neal has just gotten so big. I can’t believe it.”

“Time goes by fast, doesn’t it?”

“Truly. Even with Bae…I can’t believe they’re out on a date tonight!”

“I know,” Mary smiled sadly. “David was a wreck.”

“Ralph too, he was so nervous. I mean, I was too. But I trust the kids.”

“Me too. It was almost good that David got called into work though, gives him a distraction.”

Belle raised an eyebrow. “I was just by the station to drop off a thank you for their extra security at the library, David wasn’t there. Graham was.”

 

Mary groaned, cursing herself. Her husband had lied, of course he had. She hadn’t pushed in case there really was an emergency. She knew he was nervous about Emma, but this was too much. If she saw her father there, she’d be completely humiliated. Belle spotted the look on her friend’s face.

“Let me guess, the only work the sheriff is doing is spying on the kids?”

“Unfortunately.” She pulled her phone from her purse, switching Neal’s car seat to give her other arm a breather.

“Don’t be too hard on him, the men just care. I was grateful that Ralph’s stock boy called out too, he was going crazy.”

Mary paused. She had parked in front of Gold’s because the market’s lot was full. The shop had been closed. “I parked by the pawn shop, the lights weren’t on.”

Belle let out a groan similar to the one Mary had let out earlier.  “Well I guess your husband has a little movie buddy.”

“I say we check out and get them out of there before the kids see and are totally embarrassed.”

“I agree.”

 

Meanwhile, David had his eyes on the back of Emma’s head. Bae hadn’t tried anything funny or so it seemed to him anyway. He was starting to feel a little guilty for doing all of this. He had lied to Mary and he wasn’t quite sure if it was worth it.

 

He felt his pocket vibrate just as he heard a buzzing sound coming from nearby. The two men removed their phones at the same time. David gulped a little when he saw he had a text from his wife.

 

**Mary: Outside. Now.**

The sheriff had a feeling that the shop owner had received a similar text because he was already standing up.  David caught one last glimpse at his daughter and just then realized that she was holding hands with the boy. He sighed, that was as innocent as it was going to get. He followed Ralph outside where both Belle and Mary stood, their respective sons in their arms.

 

“Hey big guy,” David said, going for the baby, figuring his wife would go easier if he was in his arms. Mary stepped back, Belle doing the same. Their husbands weren’t using their sons to get out of this one.

“They didn’t see you, did they?”  Mary asked.

“No. At least I don’t think so.”

“Good.”

“We’re going home, Ralph,” Belle said.

“Belle…” he tried to say.

“Quickly, before the movie ends and they do see you.”

 

The man sighed, but followed his wife, knowing she was right. David gnawed on his bottom lip, looking at Mary.

 

“Look, I’m sorry I lied to you,” he said. “That was wrong.”

“We don’t have secrets,” Mary told him, quietly.

“I know. I feel really, really bad,” he replied, sincerely. “I was just…I was so worried about Emma…”

“And you don’t think I am?” Mary snapped. “She’s my baby too, you know. But I am not going to risk embarrassing her like this!”

“I realize now it was wrong,” David said, softly. “If anything were to happen to her, I’d go crazy. But I also would kick myself if I ruined something that made her so happy. You have to believe me Mary, I know I screwed up here.”

 

Mary looked into his eyes and sighed. She knew why he did this, she knew that he had no bad intentions behind it. She wasn’t entirely thrilled with him at the moment, but she couldn’t stay angry. He looked like a kicked puppy, his eyes filled with sorrow.

 

“If you ever lie to me again David Nolan, you are going to be sorry,” she threatened.

David nodded and feeling bold, stepped closer to her. She didn’t retreat, which he took as a good sign. “I am sorry.”

“I know you are. And it’s not okay and I’m not happy with you. However, I know you only did this because you were worried.”

“Are you going to tell Emma I did this?”

“No, because it’ll lead to unnecessary drama. You’ll never do it again, yes?”

“Yes.” As hard as it was, he’d just have to be the father that paced the living room until she returned home safe and sound.

“Good. Now come on, let’s go home. Neal needs to get to bed.”

“Am I on the couch tonight?”

“No.” She saw his eyes light up. “But you are on double Neal duty, so you’ll need to conserve your energy. Which means, no fun for you tonight.” She patted his chest and headed off to her own car. David sighed a little, he supposed he deserved that.

* * *

After the movie let out, Bae and Emma headed across the street to the diner. They were seated by one waitress, but then Ruby walked over to them, grinning.

 

“Hi guys,” she said, looking at Emma and then Bae. The blonde rolled her eyes.

“Hello Ruby.”

“Having a good night?”

“It’s going good,” Emma gave her a Look and her best friend laughed.

“Alright, alright. I can take a hint. Let me take a wild guess…two hot chocolates?”

“Yes,” Bae told her. “Please.”

She gave them one last big smile. “Oh, I’m so happy you two are done being stupid.” And with that, she headed into the back.

Bae looked at his date, amused. “I’m not sure who’s more excited about this, us or her and Lily.”

“Oh, definitely them,” Emma teased.

“So, you’re not having any fun?”

“None. You’re a terrible date, I should be calling my back up right about now.” She gave him a smirk and he laughed.

“Yeah, I’m dialing my booty call as we speak.” He couldn’t help but smile as Emma let out a laugh, a ridiculously happy laugh complete with a snort. Following that, she blushed, covering her nose. He just smiled wider. “Well that was adorable.”

“Shut it, Gold.”

 

Ruby returned with their drinks, once again smiling like an idiot until Granny yelled at her to go wait on another table.

 

“I thought this was going to be more awkward,” Bae admitted. “Like we wouldn’t have a thing to talk about.”

“It’s just like how it is when we normally hang out,” Emma pointed out. “Except you know…it’s a date.”

He smiled. “You’re right.”

 

They drank their hot chocolate, talking about random things and the butterflies in Emma’s stomach stayed, but they were dying down. It was just like hanging out any other time…except the feelings were different. She wanted to kiss him, right there in the middle of Granny’s. But that much PDA seemed a little excessive and even she wasn’t sure if she was comfortable with that yet.

 

After they were done, they split the check (because neither would let the other pay completely) and he drove her back to the house, walking her up the porch.

 

“Well that was fun,” he said.

Emma smiled. “Do it again?”

“Are you only asking me so you get to pay for everything?”

“You know me so well.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I’d like to do that again. And since you asked for the second date, I’ll make the second move on this.” He leaned in, kissing her. She deepened it, those darn butterflies returning once more. He gently pulled away after a few minutes and caught the glimpse of disappointment on her face. “It’s 9:55. I have a feeling if you’re late, your father will have my head.”

Emma giggled. “What time do you have to be home by?”

“10:30.”

“Well you better head out then, before your daddy comes looking for you.”

Bae rolled his eyes and gave her one last kiss before heading to the car.

 

Emma fumbled with her keys and managed to get the door open. Once inside, she leaned against it, letting out a deep breath.

 

“So, how was it?”

 

She nearly jumped when she heard her mother’s voice. That’s when she saw her parents standing at the bottom of the stairs. Her mother was beaming and her father had his arms folded.

 

“Oh, you two waited up…”

“Of course we did.” Mary walked closer. “How’d it go? I want to hear all about it.”

“Some of us might not want to know everything,” David grumbled. He had seen how things went for the first half, but his daughter looked a little too happy for someone who was just holding hands.

“You went to Granny’s after the movies right? Did you get cocoa? Was there a goodnight kiss?”

“I don’t want to hear about that!” David added, loudly.

Emma shook her head, laughing. “I’m gonna go to bed. Night guys.” She kissed her mother’s cheek and then her father’s, before heading upstairs. She undid her braid and was just finishing changing into her pajamas when there was a knock at the door. She knew it was her mother so she just called her in. Mary entered, sitting on the bed.

“Your father is safely downstairs, you can tell me all about it now.”

Emma walked over and sat beside her. “It was nice, it was like old times, except Lily and Ruby weren’t there. Well Ruby waited on us at the diner, but that was it.”

 

Mary pushed some hair out of her daughter’s face. She seemed so happy. After all she had been through, sometimes she didn’t get to see that smile on her little girl. It made her own heart fill with so much happiness.

 

“And the kiss?” Mary prompted. Her daughter blushed, giving her all the answer she needed. “Aww!”

“Mama!” Emma squirmed.

“I’m just so happy that you had such a good night. Are you going out again?”

The teen nodded. “Definitely.”

“Good. I like seeing that smile on your face.”

“It feels good to be this happy,” Emma admitted.

“You deserve it,” Mary cupped her face. “You are a very special girl, Emma Ruth.”

Emma smiled. “Thanks, Mama.”

“Anytime, baby girl.” She kissed her forehead. “Are you really going to bed?”

“Lily has been blowing up my phone, so I’m guessing she wants a play by play. Which means, not yet.”

Mary chuckled. “I’ll leave you to it then. Not too late though, okay?”

“Okay. Your choker is on my dresser by the way.”

The brunette gave her a soft smile. “You keep it.”

“But it’s special, you wore it on your first date with Dad…”

“Honey, I’ve been on so many dates with your father. I think it could help out a rookie for a little longer.”

Emma matched her smile. “Well, thanks.”

“No problem. Remember, not too late.”

The teen rolled her eyes. “Yes, Mother.”

 

David appeared in Emma’s doorway about an hour later. She was currently talking on her phone. Well, more like laughing.

 

“I’m surprised you and Ruby weren’t hiding in the bushes with binoculars,” she was saying to whoever she was talking to. Another laugh. “Well why am I not surprised…more shocked she managed to talk you out of it.”

 

He felt a pang of guilt for being the one to actually follow her. Emma glanced up, seeing her father.

 

“I gotta go…yeah, my dad’s here. I’ll talk to you tomorrow…love you too.” She hung up. “Sorry, was I being too loud?”

“No, I was just heading up and wanted to say goodnight.”

“Oh. Well goodnight.”

 

He walked over, kissing her forehead.

 

“I love you, Princess.”

“I love you too, Daddy.”

He looked down at her for a minute. “He makes you happy?”

Emma nodded. “He does.”

“Well…good.”

 

She laid down, pulling her covers up over her. He shut off her lamp and gave her forehead one last kiss before her voice stopped him.

 

“Did you enjoy the first half of the movie?”

 

He froze, unsure if he should turn around or not.

 

“Em…”

“Do it again and I won’t speak to you for the rest of my life.”

He raised an eyebrow, he didn’t expect to get off that easily. “I won’t.”

“Bae and I agreed that since you two left, we can’t be that mad.”

“You know I just did it because I care.”

“I know. And I love you for it, but I can protect myself.”

He turned around and gave her a loving look. “I won’t do it again, but I will always do all I can to protect you.”

“Well, next time, find a way to protect me that’s not in the back of the theater.”

“Deal. Sweet dreams, Princess.”

“Night, Daddy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise, the drama is on its way!


	7. Sweets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Hope you had a great holiday! I’ve gotten some more nervous reviews and messages about the drama, some of you think very big haha. That’s all I choose to say on the matter! We’ve still got a few chapters to get there, but I will say the time jumps are starting soon, just so we can. But, still a few tiny things to get through first. Also, I know Emma may seem a little petty in this chapter, just keep in mind the power of nicknames and special meanings. Especially given her past.

Emma and Bae’s relationship was slowly progressing, or progressing as much as two teenagers could. They were kissing more, though they were hesitant to do so in front of Lily and Ruby. They were determined that their foursome would not be ruined by this blossoming relationship She felt a tug to hang out more with her friends, due to all that was going on at home. It wasn’t anything big, but her jealousy was starting to peak again.

 

Neal’s first birthday was quickly approaching. He had only been with them a month, but those were the perks of taking in a 10-month-old. Mary and David were going all out for his party, a large affair in their backyard. Emma wasn’t so much jealous of the party, really. She knew if she let her parents, they’d throw her a similar (albeit more grown up) party. It was more of the fact that he’d have good birthday memories, always. She was happy for that, she never wanted him to deal with the pain he did. But every time she heard her mom talk about the cake she was baking or her dad bought yet another gift (how many presents did a baby really need?), she felt a tiny ping in her stomach. She couldn’t enjoy her birthday, not really. For her 15th, they had done something small once again and while she had fun, the memories from Ed and Helga ran deep. It was more than just the birthday too, Neal was going to have the ideal childhood. Not just his needs, but his wants would be met. He would never feel the pain of an empty belly or having no one there for your big moments. That was how it was supposed to be, which just added to Emma’s guilt. Her brother should have all of that, she didn’t get why she was so jealous.

 

Mary had sensed her daughter was feeling a little jealous and had tried to dial down talking about it in front of her, but sometimes it was just inevitable. Plus, she was excited, David was too. It wasn’t just Neal’s first birthday, it was his first birthday with them as a family. They were a family of four, finally whole. They knew that Emma was a little excited too, she had bought her baby bro presents and had even helped her mom pick a theme or more so talked her out of circus and suggested The Hungry Caterpillar because it seemed to be the little one’s favorite book. He laughed through it, even though he probably didn’t understand the words, he just liked the colors. But as happy as they were to have this party, it was bittersweet. They never got to throw one like this for Emma.

 

While looking at themes, Mary had stumbled across a princess one. Just by looking at the banner, she knew it would’ve been the one she selected for her little princess. They would’ve done just as much for Emma as they were Neal. They still would if they let her on her birthdays now. They knew Emma knew this, they also understood that they couldn’t rewrite the past. They were all sort of just stuck with this bittersweet feeling, trying to focus more on the sweet than the bitter.

 

Emma’s jealousy seemed to come to a head not long after her first date with Bae. She was getting ready to go out with him yet again when she heard her mother getting Neal up from his nap.

 

“Good afternoon,” she cooed. “How was your sleep, huh?” Her brother’s sweet gurgle could be heard from the next room. “Let’s get your diaper changed, sweets.”

 

Emma paused. Sweets. That was _her_ nickname. That was what her mother called her and her alone. She knew she was being a little silly, but she couldn’t help it. Growing up, first with Ed and Helga, followed by the foster system, she never had any pleasant nicknames. Brat, idiot, crybaby, stupid, were just among the list. When she came to live with David and Mary, they were the first people to give her affectionate pet names. Mary calling her sweets had been one of the things to really feel like she cared about her. Every time she called her that, even to that day, it made her feel safe. Secure.

 

David’s special nickname for her was safe. She was his princess. Neal was a boy and while her father had occasionally called him his “little knight”, that was different. Yes, sweets was gender neutral (as princess could be, she supposed, but she didn’t take David as one to call his son “princess”), but it didn’t matter to her.

 

She knew her mom wasn’t doing it on purpose, it was probably just second nature. Neal was a baby, he was sweeter than Emma. He was her mom’s baby too. So, she didn’t understand, why she felt so ticked off. She huffed and grabbed her bag, heading out of her bedroom.

 

“I’m leaving!” She nearly shouted in the direction of the nursery.

Mary poked her head out, Neal in her arms. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.” And with that, she was gone.

 

Mary was a little confused. Typically, her daughter would give at least Neal a kiss goodbye. That’s when it dawned on her. She had felt a little weird after calling Neal “sweets”. She hadn’t really meant to say it, it just slipped off the tongue. She was tired, this was the baby’s first nap in days due to his teething. While yes, he was a very sweet baby, that was her nickname for Emma. She had never called anyone that before her. It seemed silly, but she knew how much it meant to her daughter. It meant a lot to her too. She could come up with her own special nickname for her son.

 

“Mama’s so silly, Nealy,” she told him with a tiny sigh. “I think I really hurt big sissy’s feelings. Oh well, I’ll find a way to make it up to her.”

“Mama,” Neal babbled.

Mary smiled. “That’s right, Mama will fix this. How about a snack for Mama’s clever boy?”

“Mama,” he repeated.

* * *

Bae knew his girl, he knew when something was bothering her. So, when she got in his car and slammed the door, throwing on her seatbelt, he knew he was in for an interesting afternoon.

 

“Alright, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Emma.”

“Baelfire.”

“Emma Ruth.”

She shot him a glare. “Baelfire Cassidy.”

 

 

He should’ve saw that one coming. Emma loved her nickname, it was something special to her, a connection with the grandmother she never knew. Bae hated his because it was Milah’s middle, she had given it to him at birth since Ralph selected Baelfire.

 

“Alright, guess I deserve that.”

Emma sighed. She was taking out her anger on him and that wasn’t fair. She had worked so hard to move past that, it was one of her worse traits. “I’m sorry, it’s just stupid.”

“I’m sure it’s not.”

“I’m going to sound like a 5-year-old.”

“Something about Neal’s party?” She had opened up a little about it to him. He got it, in a way. He hadn’t felt too much jealousy about his new baby brother, except for when it came to him and Belle. In many ways, he felt like he had just gained a mother and now he had to share her. With another boy, no less.

“No. And you can’t laugh.”

“Scout’s honor.”

“She called him my nickname.”

“Sweets?” Blush crept across her cheeks and he chuckled. “Don’t be embarrassed, it’s just something I picked up. She calls you that and she alone, not even your dad calls you that.”

“It’s stupid, I’m being childish, right?”

“No. It’s your special name from her.”

“It’s more than that.” She sighed again. “You wanna know Helga’s nickname for me?”

“Go ahead.”

“Mistake.” Baelfire flinched. Milah had thrown that one around with him. “Not like, every day or anything, but enough. I was brat or bastard to Ed. In the foster system, brat and stupid were pretty popular ones. Little Orphan Emmy from the kids with families.”

“People are assholes,” he told her as he turned on to Main Street.

Emma gave him a small smile. “But then I got placed with my parents. Mom called me sweets within an hour of meeting me, when we were out shopping.” She could still remember it. “And every time she would, it just made me feel safe. Like I belonged.” She looked at her lap. “It’s stupid, I know.”

“It’s not stupid. It’s important to you.”

“Neal…he’s going to get everything. And that’s the way it should be. I’m not mad that he’ll never have memory of his time in the system, that he’ll never experience abuse. I’d probably kill the person who ever laid a hand on him. But he gets all of it: birthday parties, getting tucked in at night, knowing what a hug feels like, knowing what _love_ feels like.” She pursed her lips together, willing herself not to cry. “My nickname from my dad is safe. And this sounds so petty, but I just want one thing…one thing from my mom. One thing that I don’t have to feel this jealousy over.”

“That’s completely understandable. You went through a hell of a lot and you deserve everything your brother will get.” Baelfire parked in front of the arcade and grabbed her hand. His girlfriend looked over at him, giving him a watery smile. “And there are some things, that you get that Neal never will.”

 

Emma’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

 

“Huh?”

“Well, this is how I look at it, for me at least. It’s how I manage to get my jealousy with Gideon…”

“I hadn’t even thought…” Emma suddenly felt bad. “I go on and on about Neal, I never even asked…”

Bae waved her off. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I will. Bae, you help me through everything. I should at least be able to help you. I mean you’re my…” She blushed again. “My you know…”

“Boyfriend?” He smiled.

“Well…yeah.”

“I’m glad that’s out there. But seriously, Em…”

“If I’m going to vent to you about my life, you tell me about yours. Remember what I told you last year? There’s no Pain Olympics. We both go through shit.”

Bae’s smile widened. “Alright, I’ll tell you. But in order for me to explain, you have to let me talk.”

Emma giggled. “Sorry.”

“Well, I feel the same way about Gideon. I never had a mom, not a real one anyway. Then I get her and suddenly, I’m sharing her with this baby. I love the kid, but it’s hard. I try to remember this though, as much as he’s going to get, I got different things from her.” Blush crept upon his cheeks. “No teasing me.”

“I won’t.”

“She sort of put me back together. I still was sort of broken when my dad met her, we both were. But our relationship is special because of that. Gideon will never know the pain I did, but he’ll also never know how awesome it is to have that missing piece be filled.”

 

Emma smiled at the thought. She really hadn’t looked at it that way. She leaned in, kissing him. He was caught off guard, but deepened it. When they pulled apart, he still looked a little shocked.

 

“What was that for?”

“Just being you. You always make me look at things differently.”

“The jealousy’s still there. It’ll always be there, probably. You just find ways to cope.”

“You know, my parents should just send the checks they write Archie to you.”

Baelfire laughed. “Baelfire Gold, PhD. Has a nice ring, no?”

“You’re a lot cuter than he is,” she told him.

“Oh? Well that’s good to know.” He leaned in, giving her another kiss. “Feel better?”

“A little. I don’t have the urge to go rip up one of Neal’s stuffed animals anymore.”

“Good.”

“Now, enough therapy. I’m just going to cause you to need some when you get your butt whooped by me at air hockey.”

“Oh, I don’t think so. You’ll be in his office crying tomorrow about how your boyfriend is the champion.”

“As if. This may be the end of our relationship,” Emma teased with a wink.

 

They went in the arcade, playing a few rounds of the game, with Emma winning each and every one.

 

“Oh yeah! Who’s the boss?”

Baelfire rolled his eyes. “I got the sucky side.”

“Oh please, bow down to the queen,” Emma told him.

“Shouldn’t it be princess, Daddy’s girl?”

“Oh, is Daddy’s sweet boy going to go home crying?”

“You’re going to regret that.”

“Am I? How?”

 

Bae pulled her into his arms and started tickling her sides. She began giggling uncontrollably.

 

“No fair!” Emma squealed in between giggles.

“I don’t think so!”

“Baelfire, stop it!”

“Say I’m the best boyfriend in the world!”

“Boyfriend, huh?”

 

The two looked up and saw Lily standing there. Bae released Emma and she smoothed out her hair.

 

“Didn’t know you two became official,” she attempted to smirk, but they could tell something was wrong.

“It’s recent. Lil, what’s wrong?” Emma asked.

“Nothing.”

“Lily,” she stepped closer. “I am the queen of walls, do not make me break down yours.”

She sighed. “My parents are fighting again.”

 

Bae and Emma shot her a sympathetic look. It was no secret that Mal and Marvin were having problems. They had been seen leaving Archie’s every Wednesday and their fights were going public in his shop. Lily had to hear the most of it at home, with the two constantly putting her in the middle. Both of her friends got what all of it was like. Bae had experienced it before Milah walked out, Emma not just with Helga and Ed, but several foster parents as well.

 

“I just had to get out of there, I doubt they even noticed I left.”

“Why don’t we go to Granny’s,” Emma offered. “Milkshakes, no screaming. I think Ruby’s about to get off too.”

“No, you guys are on a date. I just came here to hide…”

“We can have a date anytime,” Bae butted in. “Plus, I’m debating breaking up with Emma, she’s too braggy.”

“As if, you’re a sore loser,” Emma jabbed back. Lily couldn’t help but smile. This banter she could live with.

“Bae, if you break up with Emma, I will kill you,” she threatened, throwing an arm around her best friend as they walked out of the arcade.

 

They got to the diner and sure enough, their other friend was getting off her shift. She joined them in a booth for milkshakes and talk, about anything but the problems going on in their lives. They were an interesting group, for sure, but what they would do without one another, they were not sure. Lily was laughing by the end and Emma had nearly forgotten about what she had gotten into Bae’s car so angry about.

 

After dropping Lily off, they were back at the Nolan’s.

 

“So,” Bae gave her a smile. “You going to talk to your mom?”

“I don’t know,” Emma sighed. “Maybe it’s not worth it.”

“If it upsets you, it is.”

“I’ll think about it. Good enough?”

“I suppose.”

 

Emma leaned in, giving him a kiss. A minute later, she could hear knocking on the window. She didn’t even need to pull apart to know it was her father. She rolled her eyes before doing the same to the window.

 

“Hi Daddy,” Emma told him, giving him a Look.

“Hey kids.” David leaned in the window. “Whatchya up to?”

“I’m sure you can see, that’s why you were knocking on the window.”

Bae chuckled, neither father nor daughter missed that it was nervously. “I’ll text you, Em.”

“Sure you will.” She thought about it for a minute and gave his lips a final kiss before getting out of the car and heading back to the house with her father.

“Was that one really necessary?”

“Is you being overprotective?”

“So, since he kissed you can I not?”

“That’s exactly right. Bae’s the only guy in my life.”

 

David pretended to be offended and then kissed both of her cheeks. Emma just laughed as she put her key in the door.

“You’re such a dork.”

“And you can be sassy. We all find ways to cope.”

 

The minute she walked in the house, she was hit by the smell of double chocolate cake.

 

“Wow, Mama’s making your favorite cake. What’d she do?” David teased, having no way of knowing just how accurate he was. Then he saw her face and raised an eyebrow. “Oh God, what did she do?”

“Nothing.” Emma shook her head. Her mom really didn’t know what she had done, had she? She didn’t even know that she had overheard it. This had to be a test run for Neal’s birthday cake. Mary had been going on and on about how she didn’t know which flavor would be best.

“Em…”

“This is probably for Neal.”

 

As she headed for the stairs, her mom beaconed for her from the kitchen. Emma sighed, she really wasn’t in the mood to talk about the party, not after Bae had spent all that time cheering her up. She channeled her inner-Bae and tried to remember what he said as she headed in there.

 

_They’re the glue, they’re the glue._

“Hey baby,” she said. “How was your date?”

“It was fine.”

“What’d you do?”

“Arcade, shakes with Lily and Ruby.” She figured the shakes would be enough to get her out of the cake. No way would her mom let her have that much sugar before dinner.

“Sounds like fun. I just put your favorite cake in the oven for dessert, but I have some batter left over. Why don’t you have at it?”

 

Emma raised an eyebrow. Batter. Her mother was going to essentially let her lick the bowl after she inhaled shakes.

 

“Dinner’s coming up, is it not?” Emma asked.

“Yeah.” The smile didn’t leave Mary’s face until her daughter walked over and pinched her arm. “Ow! Emma Ruth!”

“Sorry, had to make sure aliens didn’t come and abduct you while I was gone.”

Mary rolled her eyes and pushed the bowl forward, adding a spoon to it. “Here. Sweets for my sweets.”

 

Emma looked down at the bowl. So her mother did know that she heard.

 

“Mama…”

“Emma.”

Emma sighed. “You don’t have to do this. Being upset about it, is just making me seem younger than Neal.”

“No, it’s not. It just slipped out, I didn’t mean to call him that. That is my special nickname for you.”

“Well…again, not a baby. Shouldn’t matter.”

“But it does. And I’m sorry that it hurt you,” Mary said, putting a hand on her arm. “You know I’d never want to do that.”

“That’s why it’s dumb. You’re an amazing mother, you would never do anything to hurt me and I stormed out of here pouting.”

“It’s my name for you.”

“It’s just…” Emma sighed again. “Growing up, I didn’t have any good nicknames.” She wasn’t about to rehash them from her mother, but Mary had a pretty good idea. “And then I came here…it was the first time that nicknames were used out of love and not taunting. There are little random ones that don’t really matter if you call him that. But two stuck, I don’t know why, but they did.”

“Princess and sweets?” Mary guessed. Emma nodded, still staring at the bowl. “It’s perfectly normal to be protective of those names and they are yours and yours alone.”

“I can’t claim them.”

“With us, you definitely can. I don’t think your father is going to start calling Neal “Princess” and I won’t be calling him sweets again.”

“But that’s just silly. Neal deserves the best, he deserves everything.”

Mary tipped her chin up so she was looking her in the eye. “And you deserve something that’s just yours.”

Emma gave her a small smile. “You don’t think I’m acting like a little kid?”

“No.” She walked around the corner and enveloped Emma into a big hug. Emma hugged her tighter, burying her head into her shoulder. “If you started calling someone else Mama, I think I’d be pretty jealous.” Her daughter’s giggle filled the room.

“Well I don’t think you have to worry about that.”

“You know,” Mary said, a little more seriously. “Your father and I wish we could’ve given you all of this Emma…what we can Neal.”

“I know,” Emma whispered.

“If we could turn back time…”

“Then we wouldn’t have found Neal.”

“I guess I never thought about that.”

“Even if you could, you were young and there was nothing anyone could’ve done in that situation. It was just what was meant to happen. I didn’t get real parents until I was 13, it sucks but it’s…it’s just how things are.”

 

Mary sighed, holding her tighter to her. She knew Emma was right, but she hated it. Why was that how fate had worked things out? If she allowed herself to go down that path again, she knew she’d go nuts, so she just pulled away, kissing her daughter’s cheek.

 

“Eat your batter.”

 

Emma smiled and took a bite. David poked his head in.

 

“Is it safe? Do I need to get the intervention team in here?”

“You’re just hilarious,” Mary shot back, with an eye roll. David chuckled and walked over to his daughter, attempting to stick his finger in the bowl. Emma pulled it away.

“Mama didn’t do anything to you,” she informed him.

“She’s mean to me every day,” David replied.

“Every day? You weren’t saying that last night…” Mary began to say, cut off by Emma putting her hands over her ears.

“La la la, my parents do not do things like that, they’re nuns…”

“Men can’t be nuns, Princess,” David reminded her with a chuckle.

“Fine, you’re a monk then,” she told him. He rolled his eyes and took a bite.

“How do you think I feel coming home and finding you kissing Bae in his car?”

“Kissing is not the same. Plus, no one said you had to look in the car.”

“I pulled up and got a call from Graham. Five minutes later and the car was still there. Curiosity was peaked.”

“It also killed the cat.”

“Your cat may die if you don’t go feed him dinner.”

 

Emma scoffed but walked over to the bowls set out for Oliver. The growing cat ran over.

 

“I can’t believe how big he’s gotten,” Mary commented. “What happened to the little fur ball Emma brought home?”

“They grow up fast,” Emma replied as she poured out the food. She didn’t see her parents staring at her with a loving look, thinking about how right she was.

* * *

Emma laid in bed that night, attempting to fall asleep. Neal was awake, crying from his sore gums. She never woke up from his cries, but that night he had chosen to do it before she shut her eyes. Over the cries, she could hear her mother’s lullaby and she was hoping that would put her to sleep too. As Neal’s cries began to die down, Emma’s phone rang. It was Lily. A little worried, she answered.

 

“Lily?” She whispered.

“Look out your window.”

 

Emma walked to it and nearly screamed, but covered her mouth in time. Lily was hanging off the drain pipe, waving. The blonde quickly made sure her door was secure and shut before going back to the window, opening it. Lily climbed in, brushing herself off. She was wearing cupcake pajamas pants and a school sweatshirt, a backpack over her shoulder.

 

“What are you doing here?” Emma whispered.

“Oh you know, I just love scaling drain pipes,” Lily replied, softly.

“Explain.”

She sighed. “I can’t sleep. My parents are fighting again.”

 

Emma bit her lip. She could remember those days. The closet was always her sanctuary. Somehow, the clothes would muffle out some of the screams. In other foster homes, if they had CD players, she’d crank up some music. Though that usually just got her screamed at.

 

“Did you tell them you were coming here?” Emma asked. The look on her best friend’s face gave her away. “So, that’d be a no.”

“They won’t notice I’m gone.”

“But my parents may notice tomorrow when they wake up and have two daughters instead of the one.”

“I’ll sneak back out before they wake up. I promise, I do this with Ruby all the time, but I think Granny’s catching on.”

Emma sighed. She couldn’t turn Lily away. Back when she was in the system, she wished she had a friend’s house to run away to. Instead, her option was basically to just run away until she was discovered and turned over to her social worker. “You can stay here.”

Lily smiled, hugging her tight. “You’re the best friend ever.”

“Don’t mention it. Wait here.”

 

She snuck out of her room and down the stairs. She grabbed two cans of coke and the box of Cheez-Its before going back up, making sure her door was once again securely shut before offering out one of the cans. Lily beamed and accepted it, sitting down on the bed. Emma sat beside her, opening the box and putting it in the middle.

 

“I’m sorry your parents are fighting like this,” she whispered.

Lily shrugged. “They’re getting a divorce.”

“Oh Lil…”

“I’m not upset about that, not really. The fighting will be over, so that’s a plus.”

“Still not easy. Who’s um…”

“Moving? My dad. That was the fight. My mom wanted him to stay, for me.”

 

Emma put an arm around her, pulling her close. Lily rest her head on her shoulder, putting a few crackers into her mouth. Nothing had to be said. The brunette had comforted the blonde a few times over their friendship, it was simply the latter’s time to return the favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, Cheez-Its and coke were my childhood friend and I’s go to whenever I would sleepover her house, had to incorporate here! Anyway, tell me what you guys want to see before we get to the drama (or even during, even though you don’t know what it is haha). Emma’s snuck her bestie in for the night. How will that go?


	8. You Wouldn’t Get It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shorter chapter. Reason being, I didn’t want to mix this with anything else, haha.

“You could get in trouble if we get caught,” Lily pointed out. The girls were sitting up in Emma’s bed, music playing to drown out Neal crying, though not too loud to make Mary or David come in to check up on their daughter.

Emma shrugged. “You said you’d sneak out before they woke up. I trust you.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because you’re my best friend and you’ve been there for me.”

“Well yeah, but I haven’t risked getting in trouble for you.”

The teen laughed. “Um let’s see, Killian’s party, ice skating on the lake or what about the time you stood outside the Rabbit Hole with my phone, just to screw with my parents?”

“That’s different. I couldn’t get in trouble for the last one and the first two, I didn’t do for you.”

 

Emma put her soda down and shrugged.

 

“I just get what it’s like to listen to screaming.”

“Your parents don’t seem like that type. Then again, I guess my parents didn’t either.”

“Mom and Dad don’t really argue. Well, they do, but it’s little stuff and it’s never too loud. But in most foster homes I was in, the couples hated each other. They’d scream over the smallest things, sometimes more. Ed and Helga were probably the worst. They didn’t care who heard, myself included.”

Lily frowned. “That super sucks.”

“I didn’t have anywhere to go, so I’d just hide. Not that it did much good.” Emma blinked back the tears that were associated with that memory. “Anyway, not trying to make my thing seem worse. I just get what it’s like, so if you need a safe place, there’s here. Though, not sure how much better it is. Neal’s crying a river in there.”

Lily giggled. “I’ll take crying over screaming matches any day. You got lucky, Em.”

The teen smiled slightly. “I guess I did.”

 

She knew she had. She was thankful every day. Sometimes she didn’t feel worthy of it. She had been adopted when there were still so many kids in the system. Kids who probably wouldn’t give her parents as hard a time as she did. But, she knew there was nothing she could do about it. She had just gotten extremely lucky and she couldn’t take it for granted. A part of her wanted to go tell her parents, but she couldn’t do that. That would be breaking her trust with Lily. Plus, if Mal and Marvin were still fighting, sending her friend back to that wasn’t going to be the smartest idea.

 

“Do you want more soda?” Emma asked, getting up.

“I’m good, thanks.”

“I’ll be right back.”

 

She walked out of the room, hearing that Neal had finally fallen back asleep. She headed downstairs and grabbed another coke from the fridge. As she was getting out of the kitchen, she ran into her father.

 

“Hey Princess. What are you still doing up?”

“Oh, just couldn’t sleep.”

“Neal keep you up?”

She gave him a small smile. “Well, he can’t help it. Just a baby and all.”

David spotted the can in her hand. “I’m sure that soda isn’t going to help things.”

“It’s not that bad.”

“I don’t know, Em. You know your mom doesn’t like you having caffeine so late.”

Emma gave him her famous puppy dog eyes. “She doesn’t have to know, does she?”

David sighed, cracking. Why did his daughter have to be so adorable? “You know what they say? About fathers being wrapped around their daughter’s fingers? Totally accurate.”

She beamed and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Daddy.”

“Just go back to bed before I change my mind.”

“Night, see you in the morning.”

 

She headed back upstairs and made sure her door was securely shut before heading back over to Lily.

 

“That took you awhile,” the other teen spoke up.

“Ran into my dad.” She saw her best friend panic. “But he didn’t suspect anything, I just had to use my puppy dog eyes to convince him soda wasn’t the end of the world.”

Lily laughed. “Your dad is soft.”

“Sometimes. Sadly, the face does not always work.”

* * *

Mary tiredly made her way around the kitchen as an equally exhausted Neal was attached to her hip. Teething was hell on both parent and child. Neither had gotten much sleep the night before and since David had to work, she insisted that she be the one to handle it. For now, the little one had a teething ring fresh from the freezer in his mouth. David came down, looking a little more refreshed than she, but Mary knew how that’s how it should be. When school started back up again, then he’d insist on taking over more. Though, both hoped that it had passed by then.

 

“Emma’s not up?” He asked as he pecked her lips and Neal’s head.

“You know her, unless she has plans, she’s dead to the world.”

David laughed. “Wish I had that luxury.”

“As do I. But then that also means being 15 again.”

“Eh…I’ll pass.” Mary giggled in spite of herself and David took the baby. “I’ll get his breakfast started.”

“You’re the best.”

 

Before either could move any further, there was rapid knocking on the door. Mary raised an eyebrow but walked over to it, David following closely behind. Once it was opened, they found Mal Page standing there. She had a coat on, but they could also see pink sleep pants poking out from underneath. She looked absolutely panicked.

 

“I woke up this morning and went to go get Lily and she was gone,” the woman said quickly, before either could say anything.

Mary instantly put a hand on her friend’s arm and lead her inside, shutting the door. “Alright, take some deep breaths. Did you try calling her?”

“Her phone was on the nightstand.”

“And did you try Ruby’s or even Bae’s?”

“I called, they haven’t seen her since yesterday afternoon. I’m sorry I didn’t call, you guys are just 5 minutes away and I…I don’t know, seemed like the last resort.”

“It’s not a problem, but she’s not here,” David began bouncing a now fussy Neal. “We’ll go ask Emma if she heard from Lily last night.”

“Exactly,” Mary gave Mal a reassuring smile. She knew what this was like. She could still remember the morning she woke up after Emma ran away. Seeing her bed empty and suitcase gone made her just about have a heart attack. The feeling that you may never see your baby again is one of the worst fears in the world, even if you know that you’ll probably eventually see them. “I’ll go ask her right now. David, make Mal some tea. We’ll get this sorted.”

 

The brunette headed upstairs and knocked on her daughter’s door.

 

“Sweets? Are you up yet?”

 

No response. Mary smiled slightly, she should’ve known better. Very few things could wake Emma when she was dead asleep. She pushed open the door and raised an eyebrow at the sight in front of her.

 

Emma and Lily asleep, side by side, the latter girl’s head on the blonde’s stomach. Both teens were snoring away. Cans of soda and an empty box of Cheez-Its was discarded by the foot of the bed.

 

“Uh, Mal,” Mary called down. “You might want to come up here.” That still didn’t wake the two up, Lily was just a heavy sleeper as Emma. Fast footsteps came up the stairs and soon David and Mal were in the doorway with her. A sigh of relief escaped the other mother’s lips and David’s mouth dropped open a little. “She must have snuck Lily up here last night.”

“Seems so,” the sheriff said. He knew the one of the few ways to wake up his daughter. He walked closer and whispered in her ear. “Emma, pancakes.” Her green eyes flickered open and she saw her dad, giving a small smile. That slowly faded when she felt something heavy on her stomach and looked down, finding her best friend’s head.

“Crap.”

“Yeah, crap,” David repeated, folding his arms.

“Lily,” Emma harshly whispered, pushing the girl off of her. “Wake up, we overslept!” The brunette awoke and instantly sat up. The first thing she saw was David and she nervously smoothed down her hair.

“Mr. Nolan, I uh…please don’t tell my mom! I’ll go home right now!”

“A bit late for that,” Mal’s voice drifted from the doorway. Lily’s head snapped to it and all color drained from her face.

“Mom…”

The blonde woman stormed over. “What in Heaven’s name were you thinking, Lilith? I woke up this morning and you were gone! Do you have any idea the scenarios I had running around in my head? I thought you were kidnapped!” She threw her arms around her daughter, hugging her tightly. Lily sighed and wrapped her arms around her mother’s torso.

“’m sorry,” she mumbled.

“If you ever scare me like that again, I’m going to lock you up for life. Though that sounds pretty tempting right about now.”

 

Mary had entered the room by then and Emma refused to meet her eye. She knew she was probably in as much trouble as Lily.

 

“I meant what I asked before: what were you thinking?” Mal continued her rant.

“You and Dad were fighting…I just…I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to go somewhere that I knew would be quiet.”

The anger drained from Mal’s face. “You could hear us?”

“I can hear you every night.”

Mal sighed. “I’m sorry, we shouldn’t argue that loudly around you. I didn’t realize what it was doing to you…but that’s still no excuse. You could’ve at least told me that you were going to Emma’s. Or told Mary Margaret and David when you got here.”

“You both should have said something,” Mary said, looking at her daughter.

“I just thought I’d sneak out before any of you woke up, like I did the other times.” The minute that last part exited her mouth, she wanted to take it back, but it was too late.

“Other times?”

“Can we talk about this later?”

“Yes. Say goodbye to Emma.”

Lily hugged her best friend tightly. Emma hugged her back just as tightly. “Thank you.”

“Not a problem. I’m always here for you.”

“And apologize to Mr. and Mrs, Nolan, you put them in a terrible position,” Mal added.

The teen looked at her friend’s parents and frowned. “I’m really, really sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Mary replied quietly.

“This just can’t happen again. If you want to spend the night here, we need to know,” David continued.

“Please don’t be too mad at Emma, she did it for me.” Lily grabbed her bag and sweatshirt before beginning to follow her mom out.

“Wait.” The sheriff turned to his daughter. “Emma, you owe Mrs. Page an apology as well.”

Emma bit her lip, knowing he was right. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Page.”

“Thank you, Emma,” Mal replied, giving her a soft smile. “I know it’s not all your fault.” With that, the mother/daughter pair left.

 

Emma sat on her bed, staring at her nails. She knew that Lily’s plea for her not to get into too much trouble was not going to work.

 

“As for you, young lady, we’ll talk about this now,” Mary said. That got her daughter’s attention. “Can you please explain to me what happened last night?”

“Lily called me and told me to look out the window. She was there, hanging off the drain pipe. I let her come in and she told me her parents were fighting and that she couldn’t sleep.” She shrugged. “I just told her she could stay here.”

“And you didn’t think to tell us?”

“She said she’s done this before at Ruby’s and she always sneaks out before Granny wakes up. She was going to do the same, but we stayed up late talking, so I guess she overslept.”

“Do you realize what you put Mrs. Page through? How worried she was when she woke up this morning and noticed that Lily was gone?”

“I didn’t think about that,” Emma mumbled.

“Of course not.”

“Not to mention,” David spoke up. “The trouble you risked putting your mother and I in. Technically, Lily ran away last night and we were harboring her. Luckily, Mrs. Page knows that we didn’t know and didn’t press charges.”

That got the teen feeling really guilty. She hadn’t known anything about that. Back when she ran away, she had no one to run away too. There were consequences for doing it, but she paid them and she alone. “I didn’t know that.”

“The minute Lily showed up, you should’ve told us.”

“But then you would’ve told Mrs. Page and then Lily would’ve had to go home…”

“Well that’s up to Mal! She is the mother and Lily is the child. So, she gets to decide where her daughter is at night!” David, snapped. He didn’t mean to get this upset, but he needed his daughter to see how serious this was.

Emma folded her arms over her chest. “You don’t get it!”

“I do get it, Emma. I get that last night you snuck someone in here and didn’t tell us, therefor worrying that poor woman and not thinking of the consequences!”

“I was just trying to help out my friend! You wouldn’t understand!”

Mary put a hand on her husband’s arm before he could speak any further. Their daughter looked to be on the verge of tears. This hadn’t been about Lily, at least not completely. “Then explain it to us.”

“No, Dad’s just going to yell at me,” Emma grumbled.

“Emma,” Mary sat down on the bed next to her. “I promise, your father won’t keep yelling.” She looked up at David. “Right, David?”

David sighed, lowering himself on the other side of the blonde teen. “Your mother’s right. Just tell us what we’re not getting.”

 

Emma looked between the two of them. They really were going to listen to her.

 

“I just was trying to give Lily something I didn’t.”

“I don’t follow.”

“It’s just…you two fight sometimes, but not like that. Which is a good thing. But back when I was in the foster system or even before I got put in it, I had to listen to fighting a lot. People don’t realize what it does to kids. It’s healthy to argue once in a while, but screaming and all that…it’s hard to listen to. I didn’t have any friends, so I was stuck hiding in the closet or wherever I could. When I got older, sometimes I would run away, but I didn’t have a place to go. I just hid somewhere until I was found and either shipped back to the house or another one.”

 

Mary and David felt themselves softening a bit. They were still learning stuff about Emma’s past. While they knew that Ed and Helga had fought in front of her, they hadn’t known about the foster homes. She didn’t speak often about them, outside saying most were just very hands off. David pulled her closer to him and wrapped an arm around her.

 

“I’m sure that was very hard,” he told her.

“I just figured if Lily had somewhere to go, then it would help. I didn’t think about the consequences and I’m sorry about that.”

“We know. You are a very good friend.” David kissed the top of her head.

“But, as parents, we know what Mal just went through. The difference between you before you came here and Lily, is that she has a mother that cares about her very, very much. Just like you do now.” Mary gave her daughter one of her motherly looks. “I do remember a time waking up and finding you gone. It was one of the scariest moments of my life.” Emma looked down, she knew what her mom was talking about. “And if it happened again, I’d be just out of my mind. Parents need to know where their children are at all times, even when they’re asleep.”

“I’m sorry,” Emma whispered.

“I know you are, your father does too. But that isn’t going to make this okay. Mal and Marvin should’ve known where their daughter was last night and you should’ve told us.”

“So, am I in trouble?”

“Oh yeah,” David said. “You’re grounded for the rest of this week. No going out with your friends or Bae, no contact with them, no T.V or computer…Mary anything to add?”

“I think that about covers it,” Mary replied. “And this cannot happen again. If Lily sneaks over here, you tell us. I know you want to be a good friend, but part of that is doing what’s right, not just what you think is right.”

Emma sighed, but nodded. “I understand.”

“Alright, get ready for the day. Since you’re grounded, you can help me with Neal. Speaking of which, I believe he’s still waiting on breakfast.” She kissed the top of her daughter’s head and walked out.

 

Emma got up and grabbed her laptop, handing it over to David, who then pulled her into a tight hug. She was caught off guard but hugged him tighter.

 

“You’d never run away again, right?” David asked her.

“Of course I wouldn’t.” She seemed almost surprised he’d have to ask. “I may get mad at you and Mom, but this is home. I’m not going anywhere.”

He took a deep breath, kissing her temple. “Good.” He pulled off, ruffling her hair a bit. “I gotta go to work. I’ll see you later.”

“Alright. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

 

Once he was gone, she got a text from Lily. She was technically grounded, but what her parents didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.

 

**Lily: I am really sorry. Are you in a lot of trouble?**

**Emma: Just grounded for the rest of the week. You?**

**Lily: I’m not sure I’m even going to be grounded…given why I ran away.**

**Emma: How’d your dad react?**

**Lily: He’s not here.**

**Emma: I’m sorry.**

**Lily: Don’t be. I just hate that you’re in trouble.**

**Emma: Eh. What else is new?**

**Lily: You’re a good friend.**

**Emma: You’ve been there for me, it’s not a problem.**

“Emma!” Mary’s voice carried from downstairs. “You coming?”

“I’ll be right there, Mama!” Emma called back down. She quickly sent a text to Bae, explaining the situation and responded almost instantly. He was disappointed their next date was called off, but he thought she was a good friend for helping Lily. She smiled a bit before sliding her phone into her desk drawer. It was going to suck not being able to talk to him or her friends for the rest of the week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know some people didn’t want Emma and Lily to get caught but, they kinda had to. I had someone point out that they liked that I had Mary mess up, because it made her seem human, so it sort of added to me wanting to show that as good a friend that Emma can be, her actions have consequences. As always, tell me what you guys want to see!


	9. Lots of Firsts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who wanted some VP Mary/Emma drama, it begins in this chapter! Though to start off, we have a little family fluff! By the way, I have no clue how most high schools work. I’m basing Emma’s school off how my old high school worked and it’s been a few years haha.

Mary lifted Neal from his crib a couple weeks later, a huge grin on her face. “It’s someone’s big day!” She cooed. He gurgled and grabbed for her face. “Happy birthday, baby boy!”

“One year on this Earth,” David said, standing beside her. “Only two months with us. But at least we get to spend this together.”

“You’re a special little boy, Nealy,” Mary told her son. “Yes, you are, you certainly are. You have a Mama and a Dada who love you so much.”

“Dada,” Neal babbled. David grinned, taking him from his wife.

“Yes! About time! High five, little dude.” He gave his son a high five while his wife laughed.

“Only a matter of time.”

“I suppose if he said my two best girls’ names first it was worth it,” David teased with a smirk.

“Well, Dada, since you took him from me, you can change our little genius’s diaper.” She saw her husband make a face and laughed. “No trading.”

 

He rolled his baby blue eyes but carried him over to the changing table.

 

“What time is the party again?”

“One. Granny’s bringing the food, except for the cake.”

“Have you landed on a flavor?”

“Vanilla.”

“You know, he won’t even remember today.”

“But we will, so will Emma. It’s a big deal, our family is finally complete.”

 

David flashed her a smile and she walked over to kiss him.

 

“Since I’m on diaper duty, you have to be the one to wake up Emma.” He smirked, knowing he had the easier job. Emma had been increasingly moody over the coming weeks. They weren’t sure if it was because of the party or that school was starting up again. Mary sighed.

“It’s your fault.”

“Mine?” David grabbed the wipes. “How?”

“You call her princess, she’s taking it literally.”

Once again, he rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry, but she is one. She’s my little princess. And currently, it’s your turn, so bye.”

“Bye,” Neal repeated.

Mary narrowed her eyes, seeing the charming smiles on both her boys’ faces. “My prince charmings, truly.”

 

She headed down the hall and opened Emma’s door. She was sprawled out across her bed, lightly snoring. Mary walked over and gently shook her awake.

 

“Sweets, time to get up.”

“Mmph…” Emma grabbed her pillow and pulled it over her head.

“Come on, we need your help setting up for the party.”

“It’s your kid’s party.”

“You’re my kid too.”

“Yeah, well…this kid needs sleep.”

“Emma.”

“It’s for Neal. Your baby brother, whom you love so much.”

“Guilt does not work on Tired Emma,” the teen grouchily replied.

Mary sighed. “Baby, come on. What’s been going on with you?”

“Outside everyone obsessing over the baby?”

The mother sat on her bed, stroking her hair. “Alright. Now we’re getting somewhere.”

Emma sighed, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. “Sorry, forget I said that.”

“No, I’m not. I know this isn’t easy for you.”

The blonde folded her arms. “I’ll be better today, I promise.”

“Let’s talk about it.”

“Talk about what? That I’m jealous of a 1-year-old?”

“It’s perfectly normal.”

“But it’s not fair to him. He can’t help any of this.”

“No and neither could you help your past. If this is too hard on you, maybe…”

“No, I’m going. I’ll get over it.” She sighed. “It’s just not easy.”

Mary kissed her head. “I know it’s not, sweets.”

“Just don’t worry about me.”

“You’re my baby. I always worry about you. Now, why don’t you get some more sleep?”

“But you said you needed my help.”

“What I need, is for my baby to get a few more hours of sleep.”

“Not a baby,” Emma mumbled with half a smile as she got back under the covers.

“My baby.” Mary kissed the top of her head before walking back out of the room. She knew part of this had been her fault, she hadn’t been thinking and pushed for Emma’s help. Sometimes she just got too excited. But above all, she wanted this to be a happy day. And if Emma was exhausted on top of the inevitable jealousy, it was going to be anything but.

 

A couple hours later, Emma woke up feeling much better. She knew she’d have a little bit of jealousy, but she was no longer grouchy. After a quick shower, she got dressed and headed downstairs. Neal was sitting in his pack and play, looking as upset as he always did when he couldn’t be held. She scooped him up and cuddled him close.

 

“Happy birthday, baby bro,” she told him. “How’s your day so far?”

“Emmy.” Neal gave her a gummy smile.

“A year old. These two months have gone by so fast.”

“You’re starting to sound like me and your mother,” David said from the doorway, grinning.

Emma looked up and smiled. Before she could say a word, Neal babbled out, “Dada.”

“Oh look, he’s finally saying Dada,” Emma said, teasingly. “Only his what? Millionth word?”

David rolled his eyes. “Third. And you know, I wouldn’t tease me. You called me Daddy first.”

“I had a nightmare and you were comforting me! Sue me for feeling safe.”

“You’re always safe with me, Princess.” He kissed the top of her head and she couldn’t help but smile wider. “Just proof, you’re a Daddy’s Girl.”

“She’s a Mama’s Girl!” Mary called from the kitchen.

“Or I love you both equally, how about that?” David was still looking smug. “Alright, new plan. I kidnap Neal and raise him on my own. You two are too dorky to be parents.”

Her father laughed, taking Neal. “What do you think, Nealy? Do you think Emmy could last 5 seconds without Mama and Daddy? I don’t think so. I think she’d miss all of my amazing jokes.”

“Oh yes, what would I do without those. Are you going to be nice to Bae today?”

“Emmy has jokes too, Nealy!”

Emma narrowed her eyes. “I am serious, Dad.”

“I’ll be nice, so long as your PDA stays to a zero.”

“Yeah, because a 1-year-old’s birthday party is our ideal make out spot.” Emma rolled her eyes. “I find it ironic that you complain about me kissing, when you and Mom kiss all the time.”

“We’re married, it’s different.”

“Uh huh…”

 

It didn’t take long for the party to start. It seemed as if everyone in Storybrooke had gathered in their backyard. Emma had come to realize it was more a party for her and her parents than it was Neal. The birthday boy didn’t seem to know what exactly was going on. Bae stood with Emma on one side of the yard as Belle and Mary talked on the other, Gideon and Neal in their arms.

 

“Gideon’s gotten big,” Emma commented.

“I know, weird to think eventually he’ll be having one of these.”

“A birthday? I hate to remind you Bae, but we all have them at some point.”

“Speaking of, I don’t believe I know yours.”

“Oh, right. I uh, don’t have a birthday.”

Bae raised an eyebrow. “Emma.”

“It’s smudged on my birth certificate.”

“Uh huh.”

Emma sighed. “If I tell you, you have to promise not to do anything on that day.”

“I promise not to do anything big.”

The teen rolled her eyes. “It’s the day after my adoption day.”

“I should’ve figured,” he smirked.

“Look, I really hate my birthday, so seriously don’t do anything and definitely don’t tell Lily or Ruby.”

“Don’t tell Ruby or Lily what?” Ruby asked, walking over with Lily.

“Nothing. Just an inside joke,” she flashed them a smile. “Fun party?”

“Total rager,” Lily teased.

“How are you doing? We haven’t seen you lately.”

“After the whole sneak out fiasco, my mom has insisted on spending every free minute with me to make up for what I heard.”

“Welcome to my life,” Emma said, sipping her soda.

“Emma!” David called out from across the yard. “We’re doing cake.”

“And that’s my cue,” she mumbled, putting her can down.

Ruby gave her a reassuring smile. “You know, we should do something big for your birthday next year. You’re going to be 16 after all.”

“Bae, explain to the girls,” she told them. She headed over to the table that held the cake. Both the caterpillar and the butterfly from the story had been decorated on top, under the words “Happy Birthday Neal”.

“Alright,” Mary lit the “one” candle that was in the corner. “Everyone can sing now.”

 

Everyone sang the song with Neal somehow in his big sister’s arms. Emma realized after a minute just why her parents had arranged that. The one year old obviously couldn’t blow it out by himself and since she was the one holding him, she’d have to help him. They were nothing, if not subtle. Once the song was over, she bent down and gave her brother a small smile.

 

“Here Nealy, blow out the candle.” Her brother just tried to reach down and grab at the cake. “Like this.” She blew it out for him and everyone started clapping, Mary had been taking pictures of the entire thing. Emma felt her cheeks tint pink. She knew they were all focused on Neal, but attention was still not her thing. She swiftly gave her brother back to her dad and helped her mom cut the cake. “You’re so subtle,” she mumbled.

Mary pretended to be innocent. “I have no clue what you’re on about.”

“And you suck at lying.”

“It was for Neal, your baby brother. He can’t do it on his own.”

“One day that kid won’t be as cute and you won’t be able to guilt me.”

“If he’s anything like his big sister, he’ll always be adorable. Face it, you’re just like your father. Neal has you wrapped around his little finger.” Emma’s blush darkened, but she couldn’t even argue it. It was entirely true.

 

After the party died down, Emma helped her parents clean up, insisting on doing most of the work since she slept during the setup. There were still a pile of gifts to sort through, they had tried to have Neal open them in front of the guests, but he ended up getting distracted by the new walker toy Granny bought him and refused to look at anything else. Plus, he couldn’t exactly tear at the paper. So, while he played with the gift wrap, Emma and David opened the gifts and Mary made a list so she could send thank you notes.

 

“Where are we going to put half this stuff?” Emma grumbled. “I mean really, how much stuff does a 1-year-old need?”

“He’s very well loved,” David replied.

“He is.” Emma was quiet for a minute. “Wait here, I have one more present.”

“Emma,” Mary looked up from her notebook. “You already got him those toys.”

“Yeah, well...we’ll call it an adoption present,” she winked and her parents rolled their eyes, remembering that had been their excuse when they bought her the game console and games.

“He’s not getting adopted for 4 more months.”

“Oh well.” Emma walked out and returned a minute later with a gift bag. “I didn’t really wrap it. Here.” She handed it off to her mother, who pulled out a blanket. It was similar to Emma’s, except it had blue lace and the name was written in blue. Tears prickled her mother’s eyes. “How…”

“Granny taught me how to make it. I started working on it after he got here and he liked mine so much. I know it’s not exactly like mine but you know…Ingrid made that one and I wasn’t very well going to contact her and ask her how.”

“It’s perfect, sweets.” She pulled Emma down beside her and hugged her tight. David crossed over and took the blanket, running his fingers over Neal’s name. He knelt down beside his son, replacing the wrapping paper with the blankie.

“What do you think, big guy? I think your sissy loves you very much.”

 

Neal just giggled and put the blanket in his mouth. Some things would never change.

* * *

Just a short week and a half later and it was time for school to start again. Emma would be beginning her sophomore year and it was Mary’s second go around as vice principal. She had meetings over the past few weeks and had left Neal with David. That hadn’t been so hard, but this was. He would be going to daycare during the day on the ones where his daddy had to work the day shifts. She trusted her husband, she knew that he could take good care of him. She trusted the daycare too, she wouldn’t be sending her precious boy otherwise, but she was very anxious.

 

“What if he wants me during the day and I’m not there?” Mary asked as she cuddled Neal close to her.

“Mary,” David gave her a loving look.

“He can’t say very many words. What if something happens?”

“You’ve known Jennifer for years, you know she would never hurt a child.”

“Well yes, not intentionally but…”

“He’ll be fine.”

“What if he thinks I’m a bad mommy? What if he hates me?”

“Look at his little face.” Mary glanced down at her son, his big blue eyes and all. He was smiling brightly. “He loves you so much, he knows that you love him. And one day, he’ll understand that Mama has to work. He’ll be so proud of his kick butt vice principal mama, he’ll tell all his friends about you.”

 

Emma watched the whole scene, feeling amused. This was one thing she was definitely not jealous over. She could still remember the first time that Mary had left her home alone, she had freaked out just as much. At least Neal was too young to realize what a protective mama bear they had.

 

“Mama, Neal’s going to be fine. Remember how nervous you were to leave me alone?” Emma reminded her.

“That was only for a few hours,” Mary replied, her eyes not leaving Neal.

“Yes, but come on. You know he’s going to be okay.”

“Maybe we should take him…”

“The daycare is right near the station,” David reminded her. “It’d make no sense for you to drive all the way there and then go to the high school. Plus, by then you’ll be late.”

“And we have an assembly almost right about,” Emma pointed out.

“Alright, alright,” Mary grumbled. “No need to tag team me.”

“But it’s what we do best.” The sheriff kissed the top of his daughter’s head. “You have a great first day, Princess. How are you old enough for 10th grade?”

“Daddy,” Emma rolled her eyes.

“Just saying, if you wanted to go back to middle school…”

“Ha, yeah right. I get to take driver’s ed this year. Just the classes to start, but when I turn 16, I can get my permit…”

This time, David interrupted her. “Yeah, we still need to talk about that.”

“Are you telling me you’re not going to let me get my permit?”

“As I said, we’ll talk about it.” He was speaking in his voice that usually meant it wasn’t going to happen.

 

Emma shot her mother a look and Mary gave her a smile in return which let her know that she’d talk with her father about it. The blonde teen sighed in relief and hopped up, grabbing her backpack.

 

“Mama, we should really get going.”

Mary sighed and kissed her son’s nose before gently giving him to his father. “Have a good day, Nealy! Don’t do anything cute while I’m gone.”

“That’s a tall order given how adorable he is,” David said as he put his son’s jacket on for him and grabbed the diaper bag. He kissed his wife, ignoring the gagging sounds Emma made. “You have an amazing first day, Madam Vice Principal.”

“And you have an incredible day, Sheriff.”

“If you both are done being gross, I’m supposed to save seats at the assembly for Bae, Lily and Ruby.”

“Isn’t Bae supposed to sit with his grade?”

“Um…right.”

 

Mary rolled her eyes and lead her daughter out the door. Once in the car, Emma put her feet up on the dash.

 

“Feet down.”

The teen rolled her eyes. “But…”

“If we get in an accident, then you’ll break your ankle…again. Remember how much fun that was?”

Emma lowered her feet. “So, let’s say Bae just got lost and ended up sitting with the sophomores for the assembly…”

“You mean if he somehow got lost when there’s a big sign that says **JUNIORS** and one that says **SOPHOMORES**?”

“Did I fail to mention he’s illiterate?”

“You’re funny. He sits with his class, as always.” She caught the look on her face. “You can go five minutes without sucking face.”

Emma turned bright red. “Mom!”

“What?”

“That’s not why we’re sitting together.”

“Right.”

“You know, having my mom for the vice principal is supposed to be fun.”

“It can be fun, when you follow the rules.”

 

Emma rolled her eyes, deciding to change the subject.

 

“Can you really convince Daddy to let me take my permit test?”

“I have 7 months to do so, I think we’re safe.”

“Thanks. I should’ve known he was going to be protective about this.”

“He’s the sheriff, sweets. Do you know how many accidents he’s seen? Especially with teen drivers.”

“No, but I know how often he annoys me.”

“You are probably the most precious thing in his universe, outside Neal. Cut him some slack.”

 

Soon they were at the school. Mary headed to her office to arrange a few things while Emma went to the auditorium. While Mary was setting up, she got a call from her husband.

 

“Hey, how’d it go?”

“He didn’t cry.”

She realized her husband sounded a tad offended by this. “That’s good, no?”

“He seemed way too happy to leave his daddy and go off with Miss Jennifer.”

Mary smiled. “Oh, honey. He still loves his daddy. He’s just good at adjusting to new people, guess it’s because he was bounced around a bit before he ended up with us.”

“Well, I think it was too easy.”

“Now who’s being an overprotective parent?”

David made a disgruntled noise, which just made his wife laugh. “I’m surprised you were able to answer.”

“I have to go to the assembly soon. I just wanted to get some paperwork sorted first.”

“Well, kick butt. Scare the freshmen, expel Baelfire…”

“I’m hanging up now, David.”

“I love you, baby.”

“I love you too. I’ll pick Neal up today and bring both our babies home.”

“Have a good day.”

“You too.”

 

The first few days of school were pretty drama free for Mary. Freshmen adjusting, seniors already slacking off while the sophomores and juniors were just all too used to everything. Neal continued to love daycare and David was slowly adjusting to leaving his son with someone other than his wife. He was really happy that Neal adjusted so well, it was just hard for him to let go, even though he was so little still.

 

As Mary was walking the halls before the warning bell was to ring, she noticed Emma and Bae standing by the lower stairwell. She happened to know that Emma’s class was on the third floor, on the opposite side of the building while Bae was due on the second floor. They were holding hands and smiling at each other. Bae whispered something into Emma’s ear and she giggled before leaning into kiss him. Well, that she had to put a stop to. Her daughter or not, no matter how cute it was, PDA was not allowed in the halls.

 

She cleared her throat and they pulled apart from each other rather quickly. “Hey kids.”

“Hey Mrs. Nolan,” Bae said, removing his hands from Emma’s. He noticed his girlfriend’s glare, but he wasn’t about to risk detention.

“It’s almost time for class.”

“We still have like 2 minutes,” Emma countered.

Mary raised an eyebrow. “That you do, but I know how far you have to walk, so I’d hurry.”

“I’m on the track team, running fast is what I do.”

 

Mary internally groaned. This was lovely, her daughter was challenging her. The previous year they had agreed to leave school at school and home at home. Typically, Emma hadn’t tried to use her mom being the vice principal as an excuse to get away with stuff, but something seemed to have shifted. Mary didn’t understand what it was, but she didn’t like it. Not at all. She was about to tell them both to just go, right then and there when the P.A system started talking.

 

_“Would Mrs. Nolan please report back to her office.”_

 

Emma smirked and cocked her head. “Looks like your bell just rang.” Her smirk dropped when she saw the look her mother gave her.

“Class, the both of you.” With that, she turned on her heel and headed back to the office.

The teen laughed in spite of herself. “I have a feeling we’ll be discussing this after school.”

“And that makes you laugh?” Bae asked, amused.

“I have to laugh at myself or else I go crazy.”

“We really should go to class.”

“Unless we just don’t go.”

Bae raised an eyebrow. “You wanna ditch?”

“We were sort of in the middle of something.”

“I have a test.”

“Already?”

“My Math teacher wants to test us on what we already know. And since I sort of suck in the subject, I need all the help I can get.” He saw the disappointed look on his girlfriend’s face. “But, meet me by the bathrooms on this floor around 11:30.”

“That’s in the middle of 4th.”

“Exactly. We’ll cut out and go to Granny’s for lunch. That way, we’ll be back in time for 6th.”

 

Technically, only seniors were allowed to leave campus during their free periods and lunch breaks, but Emma figured they wouldn’t get caught.

 

“It’s a deal.” She kissed him again, just as the warning bell rang. “We better go.” One last kiss and the two raced off in their separate directions. They were going to be late, but it was worth it. They had a plan.

 

4th period was Spanish for Emma. Luckily her teacher was pretty relaxed and didn’t question why the blonde teenager needed her bag to go to the bathroom. She met up with Bae in their previously agreed upon location and headed out of the building. There was no security by the doors since in order to get in, you had to be buzzed in by the office and they made a clear escape.

 

Meanwhile, Mary was conducting some business in her office when one of the secretaries appeared at her door.

 

“Hey Olivia, how can I help you?” She asked with a smile.

“We have a couple students who ditched 4th period and left the building, underclassmen.”

Mary sighed. “Well, there’s not much we can do about it now. Just call their parents to inform them and when they come back, make sure they come down here to see me. They’ll be receiving detention.”

“Right, we’re aware of the procedure and we already called the parents of one of the students, but the other…well a phone call isn’t necessary.”

Mary felt a little confused. “Why wouldn’t a phone call be…” She trailed off for a moment and it clicked. “Oh God. Emma?”

“We got a page from her teacher when it seemed that Emma was in the bathroom for 20 minutes and then reviewed the security tapes. She and Baelfire Gold left the building. So, then we pulled up the parking lot, since Mr. Gold registered his car with us and sure enough, it’s gone too.”

“Great.” The vice principal tipped her head back.

“I just thought you should know, Mrs. Nolan.”

“Thank you, Olivia.” The secretary started to leave, but then Mary called her back. “When they try to get back in the building, let me know, okay?”

“Typically, we let security handle this.”

“I know, but I want to.”

 

Bae and Emma had a great lunch out together. He had purposefully planned this on a day where Granny would be out of town, talking to suppliers so the waitresses there didn’t think much to call their parents. And David, Ralph and Belle were all busy with work, that they didn’t go in. They figured they’d have a clean break. When they returned to the school, they rang the bell to get back in. Olivia and Kelly, the secretaries, were known for being pretty relaxed and they figured they’d get passed through. But a few minutes passed and nothing. It was getting dangerously close to their next class, so they rang it again. A little voice came through the intercom.

 

_“We’ll be with you in a moment.”_

 

The couple exchanged a weird look. Their confusion was replaced with a feeling they couldn’t place when suddenly, Mary could be seen through the glass doors. She had a very serious look upon her face. She simply opened the door and held it out so the students could walk back inside.

 

“Mr. Gold, Miss Nolan,” Emma gulped. She was in deep shit if she wasn’t even Emma to her mother. “My office, now.”

 

They followed quickly behind her and into the office. Mary shut the door and they settled into their seats.

 

“Like what you’ve done with the place,” Emma said. Her mother didn’t respond, she just sat at her desk, folding her hands in her lap.

“So, you two cut half of your 4th period class and left campus,” Mary said. “Is that correct?”

“Yes ma’am,” Baelfire replied.

“Miss Nolan, you’re a sophomore, correct?”

The teen could not believe how formal her mother was being. “Mom…”

“I asked you a question, Miss Nolan.”

Emma’s eyes narrowed. Her mom wanted to be like that. Fine. “Yes…Mrs. Nolan.”

“And Mr. Gold, you’re a junior?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Well, let us review the student handbook, shall we?” Mary pulled out a copy from her desk and opened it up to a page in the middle, highlighting a section and pushing it towards her daughter. “Miss Nolan, would you please read that section for me, please?”

The blonde glared at the vice principal but looked down and read the passage. “Only seniors have privileges to leave campus. Even juniors with vehicles are not permitted. Underclassmen are allowed to go with their older peers under no circumstances.”

“Very well and you both were to review this handbook and sign off on doing so, stating you agreed to it all. I have your copies stating that you understood and agreed. Which means, you both will be receiving punishments. Detention, after school for three days. That covers leaving campus when you were not supposed to and ditching class. Is that understood.”

“Yes ma’am,” Baelfire repeated once again.

“Miss Nolan?” Emma simply looked up at her mom. “Do you understand?” The teen simply shrugged. “Are you choosing to sass me, Miss Nolan?”

Emma let out a long, frustrated sigh. “No, Mrs. Nolan.”

Mary ignored the sarcasm that came with the title. “Very well. Mr. Gold, I have already called your father, he understands that you will be in detention this afternoon. Do you know where the appropriate room is?” He nodded in response. She quickly wrote out a pass and handed it over to him. “Now head off to your 5th period class. I don’t want to see this happening again.”

 

Bae quickly grabbed the piece of paper and gave Emma an apologetic look before leaving. Emma folded her arms over her chest.

 

“As for you, you can report here for detention.”

“Are you kidding me?” Emma couldn’t hold it back anymore.

“No, I am not kidding you. We typically do not allow people who break the rules together, get to sit in the same place together for detention. They get to spend their time with me.”

“So, did you call my father?” Emma asked, the attitude clear in her voice.

“That I did. And the three of us will be discussing this at home.”

“Will we now, Mrs. Nolan?”

“Emma, I suggest you drop the sass right now,” Mary warned her. “You’re in enough trouble as it is.”

“Oh, so it’s Emma now? I thought it was Miss Nolan.”

 

Mary counted back from 10 and wrote out a pass so her daughter could go to her next class.

 

“I’ll see you here, 2:15 sharp. Don’t make me go looking for.”

 

Emma snatched the pass from her mother’s hand and stormed out of the office without another word. This was going to be the suckiest detention of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emma can’t seem to keep herself out of trouble. And now she’s got detention with no one other than her mama. As always, let me know what you all want to see!


	10. Mama/Vice Principal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are one chapter away from the big drama. Are you guys ready? But first we will continue the saga of “Emma still hasn’t learned”.

Once Emma left, Mary grabbed her office phone and dialed David’s number. She really hadn’t called him before, she had wanted to wait and see how Emma’s attitude was. He had to know either way but she was at least going to wait. That was until her daughter decided sassiness was the only way. He answered, clearly not recognizing the number. Mary always used her cell to call him.

 

“Hello?”

“Mr. Nolan, this is Mary Margaret Nolan, the vice principal at the high school.”

David smirked, playing along. “How can I help you, Mrs. Nolan?”

“I have to inform you that your daughter is staying after for detention with me today.”

The sheriff laughed, but stopped when his wife wasn’t laughing along. “Wait, are you serious?”

Mary sighed. “Yeah.”

“What’d she do?”

 

Mary filled him in on the situation, including the little incident in the hall from earlier in the day. By the end of it, he was groaning in frustration.

 

“Well I can see why she has one now,” he grumbled.

“Look, it’s just an hour and then I’ll bring her home and we can discuss the whole thing.”

“What is wrong with her? I don’t even understand. Is it Neal?”

“I don’t even think it’s that. I think she’s just being a teenager. Unfortunately, they do stupid stuff.”

“I’m sorry she’s putting you in this position.”

“It’s alright. We all knew it was a risk when I became the vice principal. We just hoped that it wouldn’t come to this.”

“Do you want me to come down there?”

“No, at school we have to handle this as if I’m just her vice principal. Typically, I’d say leave school at school but even if I wasn’t an administrator, we’d be let in on the fact that she ditched. So, we’ll deal with it at home.”

“Alright. I love you.”

“I love you too. How’s your day going?”

“Pretty good. It’s almost time for my lunch break. I was thinking about picking up Neal and taking him to Granny’s, then bringing him back to the station. It’s a slow day, so he can sit with me while I do paperwork.”

Mary smiled. “Alright. You have a fun guys afternoon. Give him a kiss for me.”

“Will do.”

 

After hanging up, Mary got pulled into a conference call and had paperwork that took up the rest of her afternoon. When the final bell rang, she could hear the students flooding out to the halls. She returned to her office to wait for Emma, hoping that she wouldn’t have to go looking for her. This whole thing was going to be bad enough. Luckily, she could hear Olivia chatting with someone not long later.

 

“Ah yes, Emma, you can go back to your mother’s office.”

 

She didn’t hear a response, but soon the sullen blonde teen was standing in the doorway.

 

“Take a seat,” Mary said, gently. Emma walked over and sat in front of her mother’s desk, throwing her bag onto the other chair. “Alright, so it’s detention. No cell phones or any other electronic devices. You are more than welcome to do your homework or read.” Emma simply folded her arms over her chest and glared at her mother. “Or you can sit there and pout for an hour, your choice. Either way, you’re stuck here.”

 

Silence. Mary sighed. With any other student, she wouldn’t try to get them to do something they didn’t want to, so she just decided to let it go. It was going to be an awfully boring hour for Emma if all she was doing was glaring at her and that wasn’t necessarily her mother’s problem. Mary used the time to check up on e-mails and made a few calls to parents, leaving messages letting them know that their student had skipped class or hadn’t shown up. Typically, that was up to the secretary, but she had nothing else to do. After a while, she began examining the picture frames on her desk.

 

One was of her and David, from their anniversary a year ago. Emma had taken it. The next one was a school picture of Emma and a solo one of Neal, one of both her babies from the younger one’s first birthday. The last one was a family picture that Granny had snapped on their first outing to the diner together.

 

_If only things could always be that simple._

Emma was getting bored, really bored. She had a book in her backpack that she was due to read for English, that actually captivated her. While most students hated Shakespeare, she found it very interesting. Othello’s life just seemed so much screwed up than hers had once been, it was refreshing to read. But she wasn’t going to take it out, not after her mom told her that she could. If she was stuck in hell, she wasn’t going to do what was asked. She’d just sit there and stare at the clock. She didn’t need to constantly be entertained.

 

A part of her knew she was being ridiculous. She had broken the rules. Leaving campus with Bae had been stupid and definitely wasn’t going to be worth whatever punishment she got in return. That wasn’t even what she was mad about. It was more that her mother had been so formal with her. She knew that she was the vice principal, but she was her mother too. Didn’t that leave her with a little leeway? She hadn’t gotten in trouble the previous year, but that was because she felt like she was under a microscope, like anyone would report her to her mom if she so much as sneezed. She had shared this with her mother towards the end of the year and was assured that she was to be treated like any other student, so she could relax and be herself. Well, this was herself.

 

Earlier in the hallway, had been ridiculous. While she knew her mom would’ve found out that she ditched, why was she so mad about the PDA? It wasn’t like she was David. Lots of students kissed their significant others in the hall and never get caught. The one time she felt comfortable enough to do it, she got busted and scolded for it.

 

She let her thoughts envelope her so much, that she was caught off guard when her mom’s voice was suddenly directed to her.

 

“Alright, the hour’s up. We can go home.”

 

Emma grabbed her bag and followed her mom out to her car, quietly. The only noise heard on the ride home was the radio. Mary kept glancing over her, sighing each time she did. She didn’t like punishing her daughter, she remembered being that age. Hanging out with friends, especially your boyfriend, was probably the best part of being a teenager. It was a break from school, homework and studying and all that. Away from your parents, just lots of fun. She didn’t like having to take that away from Emma, but she was at a loss of what to do otherwise. The girl was so stubborn and it seemed like she was never learning.

 

David wasn’t home when they arrived and she knew the talk couldn’t wait. So, when Emma attempted to storm up the stairs, Mary gently took her arm.

 

“Living room, now.”

 

Emma yanked away and stormed in there, sitting down.  Mary took a deep breath, counting back from ten. She had to stay calm, she couldn’t lose her cool. That’s what her daughter wanted, a fight. She didn’t like fighting with her. It seemed to be a common theme every few weeks. In her teen years, all she had was her stupid step-mom. They fought a lot and she swore when she had kids, it wouldn’t be like that. If only she had a crystal ball…

 

“Alright Emma,” Mary said. “Why don’t we start off with why you thought it was a good idea to ditch class today?”

“I don’t know, _Mrs. Nolan_ ,” Emma replied, bitterly.

“Alright Emma, cut the attitude. I am your mother, I deserve respect.”

Emma laughed in spite of herself. “Now you’re my mother? Where was that when I was _Miss Nolan_?”

“We have to be professional at school, I have to treat you like I would every other student. That does not mean that you address me in such a way. I am still Mom, first and foremost,” Mary explained, keeping her cool.  “So, no more of that Mrs. Nolan, are we clear?”

“Crystal,” Emma muttered with an eye roll.

“I don’t know why you are insisting on sassing me, when you know you were wrong. You broke several rules today.”

“I thought school stayed at school and home was home.” Emma smirked and Mary pursed her lips together.

“You’re right, it does. Except for when you do something that your father and I would get a phone call about if I was not your administrator. Which means, I was willing to let the whole kissing Bae in the halls slide, I remember being young, how exciting it was to have your first boyfriend. I was even willing to let your attitude about the whole thing slide too, I was going to be nice. But then you blew it, you went way too far.”

“So, what? Am I grounded?”

“Yes, Emma. You are grounded. Do you think I like doing this?”

“I don’t know, you sure do it a lot.”

“Because you constantly break the rules!” Mary exploded.

 

Emma shrunk back a bit. She didn’t like getting yelled at. Her mother drew back a deep breath, trying to stay calm. She didn’t like yelling at Emma, any more than the teen liked receiving it.

 

“Just explain to me why you thought ditching would be a good idea.”

“Well…Bae and I wanted to go to Granny’s. But we knew there was no way we’d make it there and back in time for our class after lunch,” Emma replied, for the first time losing the attitude. “Figured it was better to ditch than be late.”

“Okay. But you know you’re not supposed to leave campus anyway.”

“That’s a stupid rule,” Emma mumbled.

“I understand why you may feel that way, but it’s for your safety. I didn’t make it and you know what? Even if it wasn’t in place, I wouldn’t want you leaving campus during the day. There’s food in the cafeteria, you don’t need to be leaving for that. I also pack your lunch,” Mary continued. “And it’s not as if we don’t allow you to go out with Bae at night, so you didn’t have to go at lunch.”

“It was just something fun!”

“Emma, please do not raise your voice at me, I’m trying to stay calm here.” That earned her an eye roll. “You can’t do this again. Your education comes before any boy.”

“Oh God,” Emma rolled her eyes again.

Mary stepped closer. “You know that’s true. It’s bad enough you ditched class, but for some boy…”

“Bae isn’t just some boy! He’s my boyfriend!”

“And it’s not as if you’re forbidden from seeing him, so why did you have to go through all of this to spend time with him?”

“Why do you need an answer for everything?!? Why can’t I just do something because I want to do it?”

 

Mary stared at her daughter for a minute, reflecting on her words. Sometimes she did forget just how young Emma really was. Teenagers did stupid crap all the time, and half the time they didn’t even know why they did it. They were just testing limits, trying to find something fun to do. Before she could say anything else, the door opened and David’s boots could be heard coming across the floor. Soon, he was in the room, Neal in his arms. Emma’s attitude swiftly changed. She wasn’t sure exactly how much her dad knew, maybe she could cute her way out of it. She flashed him her best smile.

 

“Hi Daddy.”

“Emma, don’t even try that.” David told her, his voice firm. She knew she had to be in trouble now, if she couldn’t even break her dad. “How far are we into the talk?”

“Emma was just explaining to me why she did what she did, or should I say how she doesn’t know why she did it.”

“I see.” David lowered his son down with his toys. “Well, maybe we should just skip right to the punishment.”

“Go ahead,” Emma said, standing up. “I don’t even care. Ground me, give me more detention, do whatever you want. I’m sorry you got stuck with such a bad kid.” She tried to leave the room, but Mary grabbed hold of her. “Let me go.”

“No, you can’t say stuff like that and leave the room.” Mary turned her around and looked her in the eye. “You’re not a bad kid, Emma. You just sometimes make bad choices. We still love you, no matter what. I don’t particularly like punishing you.” Emma scoffed. “I don’t. I wish I didn’t have to, but I’m trying everything I can to show you that your actions have consequences. Every move you make, it matters. Ditching school, breaking rules, what kind of future are you going to have if you do that? I’m just trying to help you succeed.”

 

Emma broke away from her mom and stormed up the stairs, slamming the door shut behind her. She didn’t want to hear more. She was 15! She was just trying to have fun. She believed her mother when she said that she didn’t like punishing her, she just didn’t get why they were so hard on her. For 13 years, she could basically do what she wanted. She was punished for stuff that wasn’t her fault, but when it came to leaving the house or ditching class, no one ever gave a crap. She knew she had people that cared now, but it still sucked. A part of her wished she could go back to a point where no one cared where she was going or what she was up to.

 

Downstairs, Mary was running a hand over her face. David stepped closer to her, placing a hand on her arm.

 

“I feel like I’m failing,” she admitted.

“Hey, you are not failing.”

“Nothing I do seems to work. Earlier, before all this crap, she gave me an attitude in the halls about something,” Mary decided to exclude that it was over her and Bae kissing, figuring that her husband would focus on that. “But I was going to let it slide, try to not be so hard on her. Then she does something like this. Every time I think I’ve gotten through to her, she does something else.”

“Emma is a big girl. She makes her own choices,” David reminded her. “Teenagers make mistakes, they do learn, eventually. It just takes time.”

“I don’t like punishing her.”

“I don’t either.”

“I remember being a teenager. I remember that hanging out with my friends, with my boyfriend,” she stifled a giggle at David’s jealous look. “It made all the other crap worth it. I got into some trouble, but my dad and step-mom didn’t care enough to ground me. I fought with my step-mom a lot and I swore when I had kids, I wouldn’t argue with them as much.”

“Coming from a guy who had his fair share of groundings from a very loving mother, I now realize that my mom was right to ground me and that I was a pretty unfair teenager,” he told her, pulling her closer. She gave him a look, filled with half-hope.

“Really?”

“Yes. Look, mothers and daughters fight, it’s in the book. Heck, it’s not just mothers and daughters, it’s fathers and their girls, mothers and sons, fathers and sons. The teen years aren’t easy. The difference between you and Emma, and you and your step-mom is you two will always make up. You love Emma, she loves you.”

Mary bit her lip. “She’s a sophomore. I only have so much time left with her before she goes off to college.” David winced, he didn’t like thinking about that, he tried to keep that out of his mind as much as possible. “I don’t want to spend it fighting.”

“Then tell her that. I don’t think either of you can stop the fighting completely, you both are very stubborn…” He chuckled at the glare his wife sent him. “Sorry, but it’s true. You two are more alike than you realize.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

“Just go try talking to her calmly. Not about this, just about the arguing in general. Let her know what you told me. I know our daughter and I have a feeling you two are going to be fine.”

 

Mary kissed him and he deepened it for a minute, until Neal began fussing, clearly feeling like he had been ignored long enough. David laughed as he pulled away.

 

“Seems our son doesn’t want to share me.”

“Play with him. I have a game we can play once both the kids are asleep.” She gave him a wink and he smirked.

“I like the sound of that.”

 

While David tended to their son, Mary headed upstairs, knocking on her daughter’s door. She was surprised to receive a “Come in”. Accepting the invitation, she walked inside. Emma was sitting at her desk, doing the homework she had refused to do in detention.

 

“Homework?”

“Yeah,” the teen mumbled in reply.

“Alright.” Mary lowered herself down onto the bed. “Think you could take a break? I want to talk to you about something.”

Emma swiveled around in her chair, facing her mom. “I don’t want to talk about what happened today.”

“Look, I don’t think there’s much more I can say on the subject.  I think you know what you did was wrong, yes?” Emma’s eyes glancing to her feet indicated a yes. “And you’re not going to do it again, will you?” A nod. “Good.”

“Then what do we have to talk about? My punishment?”

“No, that can wait. Please look at me.” Emma sighed, but looked up at her. “I can’t imagine what it must be like to have a mother as the vice principal of your school. I’m sure it’s not easy.”

Emma shrugged. “Not so bad.”

“I know there’s a line we have to walk, with me treating you like every other student. You do understand that, don’t you? That’s why I had to be so formal with you today.”

The teen sighed. “Yeah, I do. It just sucked. I guess I thought…I don’t know.”

“Talk to me baby.”

“I like you better as my mom than my vice principal.”

Mary gave her a soft smile, pulling the chair closer to her and putting a hand on her face. “Like I said, I am your mom. First and foremost, that always comes before me being your administrator. I don’t like having to go all vice principal on you. So, if you work on staying out of trouble, I won’t have to be so formal with you.”

Emma nodded. “Alright.”

“And look, no matter what you think, as your mom, I don’t like punishing you. I remember being a kid, I remember how much fun it can be. It’s even more fun when you’re not grounded. You’re not a bad kid, sweets and I never want you to think that you are. I know that you’re going to make mistakes and that’s okay. You know your father and I will always love you, regardless. You know that, don’t you?”

Emma’s face softened as she started smiling a little. “Yeah.”

“Good. Look, the teen years are hard and these next few ones are going to be hard. I know we’re going to disagree and we won’t always get along. But can you at least try to meet me halfway? I know you’ll make mistakes, so will I. None of us are perfect. But the less time we spend arguing, the more fun it can be.”

The teen nodded. “I don’t like fighting with you,” she mumbled.

Mary grinned. “No?”

“It’s not fun. You’re a good mom. I don’t know why I get so upset sometimes.”

“Oh sweets, come here.”

 

 She patted the spot next to her and Emma sat next to her. Mary wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.

 

“I know it’s hard. You’ve got a bunch of hormones racing around…

“Alright, Dr. Mom,” Emma joked, a full smile going across her face. Mary laughed, poking her daughter’s side.

“Just know, no matter what, no matter how often we fight, I’m always going to be here for you.”

“I know. Thanks, Mama.”

“You’re welcome, baby.”

“I’m sorry about today.”

“It’s not okay, but we’ll work on it. Just don’t think you have to change completely. I don’t like rude Emma, but sassy Emma can be pretty funny when she’s also being respectful,” She kissed her head and stroked her cheek. “Do you have a lot of homework?”

“No. Just that math worksheet. It’s kind of hard though.”

“Why don’t you go get us some water and I’ll help you with it.”

Emma smiled. “Alright.” She got up and headed downstairs.

 

Mary went to the desk to look over the sheet, when she heard rapid knocking at the window. She jumped and then saw Bae hanging off the drain pipe. She internally groaned, wondering if maybe they should have Emma swap rooms with Neal…

 

Clearly, Bae hadn’t been able to see that his girlfriend’s mom was in the room. So, it was quite the shock when she opened the window.

 

“Hello Baelfire.”

“Mrs. Nolan. Uh…hi.”

“Come in.” He hesitated but climbed in. She went to the door and called down to Emma, “Emma, can you actually play with your dad and brother for a minute.”

Bae seemed to instantly relax a little as she shut the door. “Thank you…for not telling Mr. Nolan.”

“Well, I have a feeling he would’ve pushed you back out the window.” She folded her arms over her chest. “Wanna explain why you were knocking on my daughter’s window?”

“I just wanted to see her…figured she was grounded after today…”

“And you’re not?”

“I told Papa I would pick up wipes for Gideon.”

“Right. Look, I don’t blame you for today. My daughter makes her own choices and once she’s no longer grounded, you two can start going out again.”

Baelfire smiled. “Thank you.”

“But I want to make one thing perfectly clear. Emma seems happy with you and that’s great. And I know I haven’t said much about this relationship, but clearly I need to. You are not to sneak into her room under any circumstances, am I clear?”

He gulped. “Yes ma’am.”

“She is not to be up in your room. We have a perfectly good living room, as do you.”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Nolan. I wasn’t thinking.”

“No, but from now on you will, yes?”

Bae nodded. “Of course.”

“Good. One last thing, are you aware I am very good with a bow and arrow?” Bae nodded once again, knowing where she was going with this. “Good, just keep that in mind. Now, allow me to show you out…”

“I uh, the window’s good.”

 

Mary watched the boy carefully scale the drain pipe again, making sure he didn’t get hurt. She shut her eyes, laughing in spite of the situation. Was it possible to move a drain pipe?

* * *

Ordinary day.

 

It was just an ordinary day.

 

That’s what people say when discussing a tragedy. They don’t tend to happen on days where things are already going wonky. Is it fate? Is it irony? One may never know.

 

The following day was just an ordinary day for the Nolan family. Emma was grounded, yes, but that seemed to be happening enough for it to fit into their schedule. Still, Mary got Neal up and dressed while her husband and daughter got ready themselves. She fixed them all breakfast, the baby threw his cheerios off the high chair when he was done. David made his dad jokes, Emma rolled her eyes while secretly laughing on the inside.

 

Mary double checked that everyone would have lunches for the day Emma’s phone still wasn’t working, it had stopped a few days before then. She couldn’t make or receive calls or texts, so she stole David’s old iPod to at least be able to listen to music on her breaks.

 

David bundled Neal up while the girls got ready. He kissed them both goodbye and they did the same with him and the baby.

 

Yes, just an ordinary day.

 

None of them knew that in just a few hours, the school would be on lockdown. None could quite know that everything was about to change.

 

And that this would possibly be the last “ordinary day” that they had for quite some time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, I think we’ll end it there. Hope to have the next one up soon. Bit of a warning, in case it wasn’t obvious, there will be some triggers in the next couple chapters and beyond.


	11. Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter deals with school shootings and mentions of child abuse in various forms. Unfortunately, school shootings are on the rise (my community was hit by one not very long ago) and I’d like to make this clear: if you must have a firearm, make sure it is out of the reach of children. The idea for a school shooting was inspired by The Fosters.

Mary was leaning over Olivia’s computer, going over a flyer that was to be released for the upcoming fall harvest festival, when David walked in. She looked up and smiled.

 

“Well, what do I owe this surprise to?” She made her way around the desk, kissing him. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“Emma forgot her lunch.” He held up the bag. “Figured, instead of tracking down her in the halls and ultimately embarrassing her, you could call her down later.”

“Also embarrassing her?”

“Better you than me.”

 

Mary laughed, playfully rolling her eyes at the same time.

 

“Neal was okay at daycare?”

“As usual. I swear I heard him taunting me when I left.”

“Oh David, you jealous man.” She patted his chest.

 

The door to the office opened and Graham walked in, looking disturbed.

 

“Graham, I know I’m running a little late, but…” David was swiftly cut off by his deputy.

“I got a call from Jason Scarlet. Is Will in school today?”

“Uh, I can check.” Mary walked over to the secretary’s desks and used the other one’s computer to check the roster from homeroom. “It looks like he was in homeroom, but then he didn’t show up to first period. Why?”

“Mr. Scarlet says that his gun is missing. The only other person who has the combination to the safe is Will.”

 

David felt his blood run cold. What kind of parent let their child have access to a firearm? He knew it wasn’t odd for them to learn how to shoot, but to know where it was and be able to take it? Then again, it was the Scarlet family. They allowed their kid to run rampant. Before he could suggest they go check the parking lot, Lily walked into the office.

 

“Lily, what’s up?” Mary tried to keep the panic out of her voice.

“I uh, saw Will not too long ago. Something didn’t seem right.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know. He was acting shiftier than usual.”

“How long ago was this?” Graham asked.

“Maybe 10 minutes. I was heading to class, but I just had this feeling…”

“You did the right thing coming here,” Mary assured her, putting a hand on her arm. “Olivia, pull up the security footage from the parking lot. We’ll see if Will’s car is there. Graham, can you please go inform the principal?”

 

As the deputy went to the back office to get the principal, the secretary pulled up the footage. Sure enough, Will’s all too familiar BMW was parked in the very front. By the time this was realized, the principal, Jasmine was making her way over.

 

“He’s in school, but not in class,” Mary told her.

“We need to put the school on lockdown,” Jasmine replied.

“I’ll put the call in,” Graham said, we’ll get the school on lockdown.

 

Mary could see Lily’s panicked face and she gently lead her over.

 

“You’re going to stay with me, okay? Don’t worry, you’re going to be safe.” The teen slowly nodded. “Sit down, okay? Get low to the ground, you remember the lock down drill we just had?” Lily slowly sunk to the ground, pulling her knees to her chest. Mary went to grab the mic to make the announcement, when he saw David going towards the door. “David, where are you going?”

“Just going to make sure Emma isn’t out in the halls or something. Then I’ll go wait for the SWAT team.” He went to leave again, but Mary grabbed his arm. “Mary…”

“Just be safe, okay?”

David saw the fear in her eyes and cupped her cheek. “I’m going to be fine and so is Emma.”

“I saw her heading to first period, it’s on this floor,” Lily spoke up.

“See? I’m just making sure she got there okay and make sure all the kids get in the right rooms.”

 

With that, he left. Mary drew a deep breath and grabbed the mic back, pressing the red button. She had been trained for this, but no amount of training was preparing her.

 

“Code blue, I repeat code blue. This is not a drill; the school is on lockdown.  I repeat, this is not a drill. The entire school is on lockdown.”

 

David walked quickly through the halls, watching the students scream and scurry into classrooms. He guided them in, assuring them it didn’t matter where they were. There was no sign of Will or Emma. He spotted Ruby scurrying for a door and she saw him.

 

“Mr. Nolan, what’s going on?!?”

“You’re going to be okay, Rube. It’s all going to be okay. Just go into that classroom. Have you seen Emma?”

“I think she was going to her class.”

 

With that, the teen was pushed into a classroom by some other students. Doors were shutting, quickly as his wife’s voice rang over the intercom. He headed towards the back doors, looking around. No Emma. He just had to tell himself that she was safe, that she was already in a classroom. With that, he walked out of the building to wait for the SWAT team. Graham had paged him that he had called it in and that they would be there soon.

 

Meanwhile, Emma was standing in the bathroom, taking some quiet time before class. Her earbuds were in her ears, an old ACDC song on blast. As it came to an end, she could hear her mother’s voice over the intercom.

 

_“Code blue, this is a code blue. The school is on lockdown.”_

 

Quickly, she pushed the iPod into her purse along with the earbuds, racing out the door. All the surrounding classrooms already had the doors shut. She banged on the nearest one.

 

“Let me in! It’s me, Emma Nolan.” Nothing. Tears prickled her eyes as she remembered back to their lock down drill. Once the doors were shut, no one could be let in. It was a safety issue. Her breath hitched and she did her best to calm herself down. She just had to make it to her mother’s office. There was no way that she would turn her away, policy or no policy. But as she made her way down the hall, a fear crossed her mind.

 

What if the gunman was walking around too? What if they found her and shot her? Her mother’s office was on the other side of the building. It was too dangerous and suddenly, the bathrooms seemed too far away. The closest thing she could find was a janitor’s closet. Luckily for her, it was open. She went inside and locked the door behind her, sitting on the floor, drawing her knees to her chest. She so badly wished her phone worked, she wanted to call her mom, make sure she was okay. Call her dad, let her know that she was fine.

 

Sitting on the ground, surrounded by all the cleaning supplies, made her remember back to when she had to hide in another closet. Instead of bleach and solvent, there were clothes. Back then, she was hiding from bad people too…Ed and his friends. It was her one way to ensure that no one touched her, that she wasn’t going to get hurt.

 

The memories swarmed in her head and her breath no longer stayed normal. She fumbled for her purse, trying to find her inhaler, but came up short. It didn’t matter anyway, it wasn’t an asthma attack, it was a panic one. She had pills at school…in her mother’s office. It wasn’t long until she blacked out.

Mary sat on the floor, Lily by her side. She was squeezing her hand, shooting her reassuring smiles every few minutes. Graham had given her his walkie so she could communicate with David, they weren’t supposed to have their phones out. Jasmine took a seat beside her and set a laptop in front of her.

 

“We’re getting the roll calls from the teachers,” she told her.

Lily sniffled, wiping a stray tear. “Roll call?”

“Unfortunately, school shootings are happening more often, we have a plan in place so the teachers can e-mail us rosters of the students,” Mary explained. “See, look, this room has Ruby in it.”

Lily smiled a little, relieved. “Bae texted me earlier, he was running late to school. I don’t have my phone, I left it in my locker…I can’t tell him not to come…”

“Don’t worry, David will tell him not to come inside,” the vice principal assured her. “The only people who will be able to get in are those who can help us.”

Jasmine got one final e-mail. “And that’s it, all the classrooms. Will isn’t with anyone.”

 

Mary examined the lists, a sinking feeling going through her stomach.

 

“Emma’s not here.”

Lily’s eyes widened. “What?”

Jasmine put a hand on her colleague’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you just missed her name, you’re bound to be stressed.” But a thorough second look over, proved what the mother feared. She quickly sent out a message to all the classrooms.

 

**Does anyone have Emma Nolan?**

A response came through a moment later.

 

**She was heard in the hallway after the doors were shut. We assumed she found another classroom.**

Any hope Mary had, was gone. She jumped up and headed straight for the door. Graham jumped in front of her, grabbing a hold of her arm.

 

“Whoa, Mary Margaret.”

“Let me go! I have to go find my daughter!”

“Shhh…”

“She’s alone and scared!”

“We don’t know where she is,” Graham whispered, harshly. “Maybe she’s hiding in a bathroom or something.”

“Then I’ll go find her. So, help me Graham…”

“What if Will is walking the halls?”

“That’s sort of my point.”

“And if he shoots you? Emma and Neal need a mother, David needs his wife. I know you’re scared, but I’m sure Emma is okay. In the meantime, you have to sit down.”

 

Mary stared at her husband’s partner and felt tears fill her eyes. He was right, she knew he was right. Emma was a smart girl, she had to be somewhere safe. Still, the safest place in her mind, was with her. She let out a deep breath and sank to the ground, fumbling with her walkie.

 

“David? We have all the kids…except Emma. She was heard knocking on doors, but no one’s seen her.”

 

From his spot behind the truck outside, David felt his heart sink his chest. He had done a clean sweep. Emma was nowhere to be seen. Where did she end up? Where was she? Deciding to chance everything, he sent out a text. Maybe, just maybe, her phone would start magically working.

 

**Princess, where are you? Are you okay? Please text me back if you get this.**

Nothing. Not even a read. He shut his eyes, tipping his head back, praying that everything would be okay. That his little girl was safe.

 

“Mr. Nolan!” David whipped around to see Baelfire running towards him.

“Shhh, Bae, get down.” He yanked the boy down.

“What’s going on?”

“The school’s on lockdown. You need to go back home or go to your father’s store.”

“Lockdown? Someone has a gun?”

“There’s a good chance. Just go home.”

“But what about Emma? Or Ruby and Lily?”

“Ruby and Lily are accounted for. Emma’s going to be fine.”

“You just said Ruby and Lily are accounted for, why didn’t you include Emma in that?”

David sighed. The kid was smart. “She wasn’t on any of the lists. But we’re going to find her, it’s going to be okay.” He saw the panic in his eyes. “Seriously, Baelfire. You have to go home. When all of this is over, Emma will call you.”

 

It was then that the SWAT team and ambulances were showing up, along with some parents. He had to make sure they stayed away from the school. He gave Bae one last look.

 

“Go home, I’m not kidding.”

Emma came to, feeling dizzy. Darkness was still surrounding her, along with the smells of various cleaning supplies. She was still in the closet, alone. Things were quiet, eerily quiet. She slowly sat up, leaning against a mop. She hated this feeling, she hated being alone. She had been through it enough as a child. Back then, she was able to hear the group getting high or drunk, laughing loudly or arguing. The noise had been too much for her little self to handle, but now she wished there was at least some noise.

 

She wanted her parents. She didn’t care how childish it sounded, she wanted her mommy and daddy. She felt safe with them. She knew, realistically, that they couldn’t really stop anything, but she still needed them. Hugging her knees back to her chest, she felt so incredibly alone. All those times she pushed their parents away, rejected their comfort, she regretted it. She would do anything for a hug. To know that she was safe, that she was loved.

 

The smells of everything were giving her quite the headache. She realized people probably weren’t intended to hide out in a janitor closet, but it was too late. If she tried to leave, she’d be in a ton of danger. She just had to breathe through her mouth alone, instead of out her nose. Anything to make her stop thinking the thoughts that she was.

 

She dug her phone out of her purse and tried to send out a text, but it wouldn’t let her. There was no LTE coverage in the closet either, so she couldn’t even use Facebook Messenger. Whimpering, she hugged herself tighter. How long could a lockdown possibly last?

 

In the office, as the phones rang off the hook (most likely parents and reporters, but due to policy they weren’t allowed to answer them), Mary leaned against the wall, thinking about Emma. The first time they had met, how scared she had seen, how lost. She had always vowed to protect her. She said nothing would ever hurt her again, that she would never be alone. She couldn’t even keep that promise. Her poor baby girl was somewhere, alone and probably scared. What if Will had done something to her? He hated her, he had targeted her numerous times. Her muscles tightened at the thought of not just the teenager, but his parents. They constantly covered for him, said he wasn’t a bad kid. And there she was, huddled on the floor with her principal, secretaries, daughter’s best friend and a deputy. All because he brought a gun to school.

 

“Emma’s going to be okay,” Lily’s whisper broke her thoughts. Mary looked down at her. “She’s tough, if Will tried to do something, she’d kick his ass. She’s not who she used to be.”

 

The vice principal gave her a watery smile. She wanted to believe it, she did. Emma had changed, she was different. But what if this undid all of the progress she had made? What if she didn’t trust them anymore? What if she blamed Mary for not protecting her more? Mary was beginning to blame herself.

 

David’s soft voice carried through the walkie. “Lily’s with you, right?”

Mary picked it up, pressing the little button. “Yeah, why?”

“Mal’s out here, she just wants to hear Lily’s voice.”

 

The brunette passed the device to the teenager, showing her how to use it.

 

“Hey Mommy, I’m okay.”

 

Listening them interact left a heavy feeling in her chest. She would do anything to talk to her daughter, anything to just soothingly be able to tell her that everything was going to be okay. Before she knew it, the walkie was being passed back.

 

“Listen, we have the SWAT team preparing to do a sweep of the halls, then they’ll start evacuating everyone. We think Will may have gotten spooked and left, but everything’s going to be okay,” David explained. “I called the daycare, just to check on Neal and he’s fine too.”

Mary sighed in relief. Her husband thought of everything. “Alright.”

“It’s going to be okay, we’ll find Emma, we’ll get her out of there.”

“You’re not going in, right?”

“No. They’ll come get you soon, baby. Just sit tight.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

 

Mary let the walkie drop back to her side. Soon, she’d be free. Hopefully, her family could be reunited. She just didn’t know in what condition they would find her daughter.

 

She could hear the doors opening to the front of the school. Heavy footsteps, most likely the SWAT team. Still, she pulled her daughter’s best friend a little closer to her, wrapping an arm around her. Lily couldn’t be with her mother and Mary couldn’t be with her daughter. At least they could comfort each other.

 

Another 45 minutes later and the door burst open. Members of the SWAT team came in.

  
“On your feet,” one demanded. “Hands in the air and follow us out of the building.”

 

Everyone scrambled to their feet, doing as told, knowing it was all just procedure. There were a ton of people already outside, parents reuniting with students, paramedics waiting in case anyone needed to be looked over. Thankfully, it looked like press hadn’t been allowed past a certain point so they could all be in peace. Mary gently pushed Lily towards the waiting area, knowing she was supposed to go there too but she couldn’t. She saw David and headed straight for him.

 

“Mary…” Then he saw the look in her eyes. She wasn’t going back to where the other staff and students were. So, he pulled her close to his side, kissing her cheek.

“Have they…” She didn’t even complete her thought. Of course they hadn’t found Emma. If they had, there’s no way she would be back there. David wouldn’t be letting her go. She finally allowed herself to cry. “Where is she? Why can’t they find her? Where is our baby?”

“I don’t know,” David whispered, he stroked Mary’s cheek, frowning. He had the same thoughts rattling around in his brain. Where was his sweet little princess? “But they’re going to, they haven’t swept the whole school. It’s going to be okay.”

 

Mary nuzzled her head into his shoulder as she watched the team bring out another group. Ruby was among them, her hands high in the air, tears streaming down her face. David, still holding his wife, turned to watch her reunite with Granny. Lily was with Mal, even Marvin had shown up. Bae had refused to leave; both his parents were there waiting as well. Suddenly, a member of the SWAT team approached them.

 

“I just thought you should know, one of your officers found Will. He was completely inebriated, at the park.”

David didn’t know whether he should be completely pissed or relieved. The teen had put the entire school through complete and utter hell. “Is he being arrested?”

“Yes.”

“So, that means that no one is danger, in there?”

“Well we can’t know for sure if he was the only one who brought a gun to school…”

 

But David wasn’t listening, not anymore. He gently got Mary out of his arms and kissed her temple, before heading towards the school. He couldn’t wait anymore. The only thing that held him back was the thought that if he got shot, Neal and Emma would grow up without a father. Knowing that Will was taken care of, meant he could go looking for his baby girl. He ignored the calls of his colleagues, he didn’t care. He was going to find Emma, one way or another. Mary couldn’t believe it, she just stood there in shock. Yes, Will was no longer a threat, but so many other things could possibly go wrong. She just shut her eyes, silently now worrying about two of the most important people in her life rather than one.

 

David made his way through the halls, his hand on his holster the entire time. The hallways were like a ghost town, bags discarded everywhere. He peaked into a classroom, trying to see if Emma had maybe just been unaccounted for, only to come up short. He continued to make his way down the hall, his heart pounding in his chest.

* * *

Emma’s thoughts were too much to handle. She could hear the SWAT team in the halls, helping others, but she was still too scared to move. Suddenly, there was swift knocking at the door. She screamed, throwing her hand over her mouth as the tears poured down her cheeks. She tried to back away further from the door, but it was only so big. They swung it open just as she went to move and it hit her forehead. She felt a sudden surge of pain but ignored it. She screamed as she saw two members of the SWAT team standing there, guns in their hands. She whimpered and tried to hide, remembering the last time she had been found by law enforcement in a closet. They promised everything would be okay but it wasn’t, not for a very long time.

 

“Hands in the air, on your feet!” They demanded. Emma scrambled to her feet, raising her hands. That’s when they got a better look at her, they had been warned that other than Will, one student had been unaccounted for and had gotten a radio call that her father was looking for her. “What’s your name?”

“Em…Emma. Emma Nolan,” she stuttered out.

One of the men lowered their gun. “Emma, I’m going to pat you down, okay?” He did a quick pat down, which made her wince a bit, but when it came up clear and checked her bag, he turned to his partner, letting him know. “You can lower your hands.” She shakily did as told and was lead out into the hallway. “We’re going to go find your father.” Emma was confused, but followed him out into the hall while the other one charged off. “Don’t worry Emma, you’re going to be okay.”

 

_“I’m a good guy, I promise, I’m going to bring you to a better place.”_

Lies. It had all ben lies then and she knew the words out of his mouth were wrong. She was shaking, her mind wouldn’t shut up. Nothing was ever going to be okay ever again, not as far as she was concerned.

 

David was turning the hall, ready to check the bathrooms if necessary when he heard his name being called.

 

“Nolan?” He whipped around. “I need you to come with me.”

“I’m trying to find my daughter.”

“Just come with me.”

 

He reluctantly followed, soon to have zero regret that he had. There, in the middle of the hall, was his daughter. She had a small cut on her head, it was bleeding a bit and a small bruise forming, but the man assured her it was just from having the door hit her head. He quickly nodded, his eyes not leaving his baby’s.

 

“Emma.” Never in his life had he been more relieved to see his little girl.

“Daddy,” she cried out.

 

He ran to her, scooping her up into his arms, cradling her close. He didn’t even care who saw, she was okay, she was safe. She threw her arms tightly around his neck, squeezing him tightly. He rest his head against hers, shutting his eyes.

 

“Shhh, I’m right here. You’re safe.”

“I…I…I tried to find Mama…”

“It’s okay, we can talk about all of this later. Mama’s fine.”

“She is?”

“Yes, she’s outside. Oh thank God you’re okay.” He kissed her cheek multiple times, feeling like if he let go, she might disappear. She was clinging on for the same reasons. Because there was that word again.

 

Okay.

 

She wasn’t sure if she was ever going to be okay again. Her mind was still going back to her old life, to what she had been through. She had just spent a few hours trapped in a closet, alone, scared.

 

“I want Mama,” she mumbled into his neck.

“She’s right outside.” He wanted to keep holding her, to carry her out there. To be honest, he never wanted her to leave his sight ever again.  Then he thought it would be better to warn her. While in the moment she felt safe, he didn’t want her to inevitably be embarrassed by being carried out by her father. “Everyone’s out there. I don’t mind carrying you but…”

“I can walk.”

 

He set her down and she latched her arms around his waist. He put his arms around her and they slowly followed the man towards the exit. A very, very worried Mary was waiting on them. David had a feeling she wasn’t going to be happy that he ran back in there, but he didn’t care. His baby needed one of them to be there when she was found and given the fact that she was still semi-shaking, he was damn glad he had.

 


	12. Free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter talks about being trapped in tight spaces with no escape. I know that’s a possible trigger for some people.
> 
> Happy New Year to everyone! Hope 2017 treats you all well!

Mary stood by David’s truck, her worry not lowering. It had been 15 minutes. What was taking so long? What if Emma had been hurt before Will fled? What if she had somehow made it out of the building? What if David had somehow been hurt? Every possible terrible thought one could have, she was having it. Then the door opened and all the worry melted away.

 

David had his arms around Emma, their daughter clinging to him like a koala. Tears of relief fell down her face and when Emma saw her, she broke away from her father, running to her. Mary swept her into her embrace, hugging her tighter than she ever had before.

 

“Oh my baby,” Mary whispered.

“Mama.” Emma clung as tight as she could to her, scared they’d be separated again. “I’m sorry. I just…I got scared…I couldn’t…”

“Don’t you dare apologize, I’m sorry I wasn’t with you.” The brunette kissed her head, not even seeing the wound. “My sweet, sweet baby girl.” David joined the hug, keeping one arm around Mary and cradling the back of Emma’s head with the other. Mary looked up at him and kissed him, just relieved that he was okay. They remained that way, a family embrace, none wanting to be the first to pull away. The teen stopped shaking, she knew her mother was okay, her father was there.

“Neal…the gunman didn’t get to him, did he?”

“No, sweets. Daddy called the daycare, he’s fine. Probably napping as we speak.”

Emma let out a sigh of relief, burying her head deeper into her mom’s chest, inhaling her scent. Her mom was safe, she was okay. She had no clue her father had been at the school or she would’ve worried about him. But the whole time, she had just prayed that she would still have a mom when all of it was over. She couldn’t lose her mother, she had only really just gotten her.

 

Eventually, David pulled away from the hug, taking in his girls. He knew neither wanted to separate, but Emma had that cut on her head and needed to get it checked out. There was still an ambulance waiting.

 

“Em, I know you’re happy to see Mommy, but you really have to get that wound checked out.”

Mary pulled off a little and saw the small cut, gasping. “Oh my God.”

“It’s fine,” Emma tried to assure her, batting away a few of her tears so her mom wouldn’t worry. “I was hiding in a janitor’s closet and I locked the door…it was my own fault, then the SWAT team had to break it down…”

“That is not your fault,” Mary interrupted, touching it softly. “Yes, let’s get this checked out.” She wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her to the paramedics. She sat beside Emma, keeping her hand intertwined with her daughter’s, knowing they each needed some contact. David stood nearby, giving them both loving looks.

“It doesn’t look too deep,” the paramedic informed them. “It won’t need stitches or anything, but we’ll clean it and put a bandage on it, you’ll have to check on it over the next few days. Do you feel dizzy at all? Did you throw up?”

Emma shook her head. “No, I don’t think I have a concussion. I’ve had one before, I know what they’re like.” Her mom raised an eyebrow, she didn’t know that. “It was before I was adopted.”

 

The paramedic cleaned out the cut and placed a small gauze on it. After he gave her an all clear, Emma stepped down and suddenly felt four pairs of arms fly around her body. It took her a minute to realize it was Lily and Ruby. She hugged them as tight as she possibly could.

 

“You both are okay,” she whispered. “What about Bae?”

“He’s fine,” Ruby told her, not moving from her spot. “He was running late, so he wasn’t even in the building.”

“Where were you?” Lily asked.

“Hiding in a janitor’s closet.”

“We were so worried.”

“But you’re alright, right?” Ruby asked.

“Yeah, just a little cut.”

 

When they finally pulled apart, Bae rushed over. She threw her arms around his neck and he pulled her closer, kissing her head. They didn’t say anything, they didn’t have to. Both knew what they were thinking. For Emma, it was relief that he never had to be in the situation, along with being sorry for worrying him. For Bae, it was how worried he had been but how relieved he was that she was okay.

 

“What are you doing here?” She mumbled into his shoulder after a few minutes. “Ruby said you didn’t make it to school in time.”

“When I got here, your dad let it slip that you weren’t accounted for. I couldn’t very well leave.”

“You waited all this time?”

“Where else would I be?”

 

She let out a sigh of contentment, hugging him tighter. Mary gave the two of them a small smile and David wrapped an arm around her. He still didn’t like that his daughter was dating, but he had to admit, Bae got more props in his mind after today. Not many guys would’ve stuck around and waited. Eventually, the teen boy pulled away, wiping away any tears his girlfriend had left.

 

“Your head…”

“It’ll be fine.”

“And you?”

She bit her lip and pulled away from his grip. “I’ll talk to you later.”

 

Bae nodded, he knew her. He knew she wasn’t going to be okay, not for a while.

 

“I should go…Papa and Mom…”

“Go, I’ll use my mom’s phone to text you.”

“Alright.” He wanted to kiss her, but thought better of it with David standing nearby. So, instead he put his hand to his lips and then touched her hand. She couldn’t smile, but gave him a look letting him know she was touched by the gesture.

 

Once he was gone, Emma returned to her mother, wrapping her arms back around her. Mary hugged her tighter, kissing the top of her head. Jasmine walked over, giving Emma a smile.

 

“Emma, I’m so glad you’re okay,” she said.

“Thank you,” Emma replied, quietly.

“Mary Margaret, you can go home.”

“But the parents, I’m sure…” The vice principal was swiftly cut off.

“Right now, the parents are bringing their kids home. You do the same. I’ll call you. I’ve already spoken with the super intendent, the school is closed for the rest of the week, at least. We’ll discuss everything later.”

 

Mary gave her colleague a thankful smile. She looked down at her daughter, stroking her cheek.

 

“What do you think, sweets?”

“I think home sounds really good.”

“Yeah, it does.”

David put a hand on his daughter’s back. “How about we leave Mama’s car? We can always come back to get it later. I don’t think I can be separated from my girls right now. We’ll go pick up Neal and then we can all relax.” Both girls nodded and climbed into the front of the truck, Emma getting in the middle. David got in on the other side, keeping one hand on his daughter’s shoulder and the other on the wheel. Mary was holding her hand, rubbing her thumb over her knuckles.

 

The ride to the daycare was silent. Emma wanted to ask who the suspected shooter was, just what had gone down and her parents wanted to hear what had happened with her. But that could wait, their family wasn’t complete at the moment. Even though Neal hadn’t been affected, all of them still felt anxious. David parked and went in quickly. He returned with the baby in record time, strapping him into his seat in the back. He noticed Emma had curled more into Mary during his short absence and the scene broke his heart. He had a feeling his daughter was going to be anxious to be away from either of them for a while. Not that they felt much different.

 

Once back at the house, David carried in Neal, Mary leading Emma. There was still silence as the girls sat at the table, Neal in his big sister’s lap while she stayed connected to her mom. David made some hot chocolate, he knew it wasn’t going to fix things but they all needed it for the talk they were going to have. After adding just the right amount of cinnamon, he carried the mugs over, setting them down. Emma didn’t touch hers, she just studied it. It was one David had ordered from a photo website for the previous Christmas, it had a picture of the two of them on it: arms around each other, smiling. The cursive font under it read: Daddy’s Princess. She had rolled her eyes at it, while also smiling after unwrapping it and it had become David’s favorite mug to use when making stuff for her. It normally brought a smile to her face, but that day, she couldn’t even muster a half one.

 

“So…who did it?” She asked, stroking Neal’s soft dark locks.

David stirred his cocoa, frowning. “Will took his father’s gun. But he didn’t do any physical damage, they think he got spooked and left.”

“Oh. It took a long time to clear.”

“They had to make sure there wasn’t a danger to sweep the building.” Emma simply nodded. “He’s arrested, baby. He can’t do something like this again.”

“Unless his dad gets him out.”

“That won’t happen this time,” Mary assured her, rubbing her back. “He put the school through a lot today. The administration won’t let the courts handle this lightly. No one will. This is one thing the Scarlets can’t protect him from.”

“And you know that my gun is always unloaded and locked up here, the only one who can access it, is me,” David told her. The teen believed her parents, she did. It was just a lot to take in at once. Will had always been a menace to her, someone who had tried to assault her. He was just a bully. How could he have gone so far as to steal a gun?

“I’m sorry I worried you guys…I’m sure I wasn’t on any of the lists or anything,” Emma whispered.

“Hey, don’t be sorry,” David squeezed her hand. “We just want to hear what happened.”

The blonde sniffled, shutting her eyes for a moment before opening them. “I was in the bathroom, listening to your old iPod. When the song ended, I heard Mama’s voice. By the time I got out there, all the doors were shut and no one would let me in.”

 

Mary winced. She had already known this, but it still broke her heart, she could imagine her baby knocking on the doors, trying to get to safety, only to be shut out. It was protocol, she knew that. It didn’t make it any easier on her daughter.

 

“So, I was going to head to Mama’s office…and then…” Emma bit her lip. “I got scared, worried that the shooter was somewhere close. I wasn’t anywhere near the office…so I found a janitor’s closet and hid.”

“You did the right thing,” Mary told her, stroking her hair. “That was a very clever thing to do. You didn’t know if there was danger or not, the important thing is, you found somewhere safe. You were very brave.”

Emma shook her head, she didn’t feel brave. Not by a long shot. “I had a panic attack.” Both her parents’ concern rose. “I was fine...” She decided to leave out that she blacked out. “As fine as I could be.”

“You were hiding in a closet for a long period of time…” David was trying to choose his words. Both he and his wife knew Emma’s history of having to hide due to Ed and his pathetic excuses for human beings of friends. He couldn’t imagine what memories she had flooding through her mind.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Emma replied, quickly. She bit her lip, cuddling Neal closer. Sweet, little innocent Neal. He didn’t know much of pain, he would never go through what she did. Any hiding in closets he did, would most likely be in a game of hide and seek. “At least not right now.”

 

Mary and David exchanged yet another look. Both of them were processing the emotions of the day, they weren’t sure if they could even vocalize them. How could they expect their daughter to?

 

“We understand,” Mary said. “We are here for you, though. We know we can’t fix it, but please don’t shut us out, baby. If you do want to talk about it, you can. We all went through the same event and our triggers may be different, but we can still talk about it.” Emma merely nodded. “I know your sessions with Archie have decreased but I’ll be contacting him and requesting you go back to weeklies. Not this week, maybe next? I know you may not want to talk about it, but it could help.”

 

Emma simply shrugged. Her parents never forced her to see the therapist, she always agreed. She only ever did that because she knew if push came to shove, they would. At the same time, Archie never forced her to talk about what was on her mind, they slowly built up to it. Seeing him wouldn’t be the end of the world. She picked up her mug and took a sip so she could avoid talking. Neal tried to grab for it, so she put it out of his reach.

 

“No, Nealy. Not yet, you’re still too little.”

 

Her parents understood what she meant, there were times Emma was hard to read, but others not so much. She knew they were right, she wasn’t going to argue and she wasn’t going to acknowledge it. Mary tightened her grip around her while her husband glanced at the clock. It was 4. None of them had eaten since early that morning and he knew all Emma had gotten down was an apple. They would all benefit from an early dinner.

 

“I think I’m going to order a pizza,” he said. “Sound good?”

Mary nodded, stroking Emma’s cheek. “Sweets?”

“I’m not really hungry,” she mumbled in response.

“You need to eat.”

“I’m honestly fine.”

 

Not wanting to argue, David got up to grab the takeout menu. He didn’t fail to notice Emma keeping her eyes locked on him at all times as he made the call. He gave her a reassuring smile, wishing he could do anything to ease her worry. Mary could see Neal was still trying to reach for the mug (which was safely out of reach).

 

“Buddy, I think if you broke that, Emmy would be very upset,” she told him, taking him into her arms.

“And not just because he would be hurt,” Emma grumbled. David held back a chuckle as he read off his credit card information to the person over the phone. Emma had acted like he was the dorkiest parent on the planet for buying it and it now fell on the same level as her baby blanket, almost. He wasn’t sure if anything could ever take that’s place as her most prized possession.

 

When the pizza arrived, Emma stayed true to her word and didn’t eat. Even Neal was eating cut up pieces. The teen sat there, just sipping water.

 

“Come on Emma, just one slice,” David tried to coax her. “I got extra cheese, your favorite.”

Emma shook her head. “I’m not hungry.”

“Baby, you haven’t eaten all day, just a little bit. I could make you something else if you don’t want pizza,” Mary offered.

“Please, can we just drop it?” Emma asked. Her stomach was in knots, she didn’t feel like she could eat anything without getting sick. “I can’t eat right now.”

 

Mary and David sighed. They would let it slide in the moment, but they would make sure she ate the next day. However, the fact that Emma was passing up her favorite pizza, turning down cheese, really was cause for concern. There wasn’t much they could do, they didn’t want a fight already.

 

“How about a movie?” Mary suggested as her husband cleared the plates. “David, it’s your turn to pick.”

Typically, he would’ve picked something with action for he and Emma while his wife rolled her eyes and complained the whole time. He knew after all they had just been through, that wouldn’t be a good idea. “How about Freaky Friday?”

Mary smiled. “Sure. Emma?”

The teen shrugged. “Yeah.”

Her mother wrapped an arm around her and pulled her up. “Think about it, if we suddenly switched bodies?”

“That would be mighty awkward,” David pointed out. “Plus, I have a feeling Emma would be wearing a lot more pink.”

 

Emma laid her head on her mom’s shoulder, not commenting any further. Mary kept her arm tight around her as they went into the living room. David set up the movie, sitting on the other side of his daughter. He looked down into her eyes and saw that look in her eyes. He hadn’t seen it in a while, not even when her depression flared up. She looked how she did when she first arrived at their house: scared, lost. He hated that all of this had happened. No one was seriously hurt physically, but mentally damage had been made. While she wasn’t exactly pushing them away in terms of wanting to be alone, she wasn’t truly opening up. He couldn’t blame her for that, she had just experienced all of it, he just hoped she would open up at some point. If not to them, at least to Archie. So much progress had been made. Things weren’t always perfect, but she was doing a lot better. She spent more time out with friends, she smiled more. He had a feeling he wouldn’t be seeing that little smile for quite some time.

 

Neal was asleep by the middle of the movie, but no one moved. When it was over, Emma realized just how tired she was, but she didn’t want to go to bed. She didn’t want to be alone. Mary could sense this, so she decided to speak up.

 

“Why don’t you go change into some pajamas and then come to our room?”

 

Normally, Emma would argue. She was 15, not a baby. She could sleep in her own bed. But that night, she didn’t care about any of that. She simply agreed and headed upstairs, her parents not far behind. Mary settled the baby down for bed while David changed in their room. Mary heard the shower turn on, so she had a feeling she had some time to have a talk with her husband while she changed.

 

“We need to talk about what happened today,” she said quietly as she undressed.

David sighed. “I know I worried you, running back in there like that…”

“Do you know how scared that made me? I already had one person I loved in there.”

“I just said I know,” he reminded her, patiently. “The whole time all that was going on, the only reason I stayed outside, was because I know that getting killed wasn’t going to be worth it. Neal and Emma need a father, you need a husband. But the school was clear.”

“We didn’t know that Will was the only one with a gun. What if the SWAT team didn’t know why you were in there? What if they panicked and shot you instead?”

David sighed, stepping closer to her. “I get your side, I do. But once I got in there and saw Emma, saw how she was…I can’t apologize. She was shaking, Mary. She had just spent a few hours locked in a closet and the first thing she saw after were two men with very large guns. Can you imagine how scary that must have been for her? Especially given how she was found when she got put into the system?”

 

Mary sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. Feeling brave, David wrapped an arm around her waist.

 

“She needed one of us there and it had to be me, I’m in law enforcement, it was safer for me to reenter. I didn’t want to make you worry more than necessary, but I had to do it for Emma.”

Mary put a hand on his face, giving him a loving smile. “I know. I get it. You think I’d be used to it by now, you’re the sheriff. When you were a rookie, I was out of my mind with worry. Even now, I have a thought in the back of my mind. As much as the kids are my world, you are too. I can’t lose you.”

“You’re not going to lose me,” David promised her. “I’ll try not to scare you so much, though.”

“Parking tickets and paperwork, only,” she whispered, laughing at his chuckle. They both knew it wasn’t possible, but they could pretend for a day. After a brief kiss, she noticed a look in his eyes.

“What are we going to do about Emma?”

Mary bit her lip. “Just be there. I know she doesn’t want us out of her sight right now and I feel the same. We don’t force her to talk about it, she agreed to see Archie.”

“She made so much progress. But tonight, I saw that look in her eyes. The one she had when she got here. So scared, so lost.”

“We’ll get her through this. We always do.”

“It’s different this time.”

“We don’t give up, remember?” Mary gave him a soft smile. “It’ll be okay…eventually.”

David sighed, but he couldn’t help but match the smile. “Eventually.”

 

The shower turned off and they both sat on the bed to wait for her. Emma came in 15 minutes later, changed and holding something behind her back. They both knew it was her blanket, but didn’t say anything as she got in the middle of the bed. Mary laid on the other side, stroking her golden curls.

 

“It’s okay baby, you can go to sleep. You’re safe.” Emma still kept her eyes open, so her mother continued stroking her curls and softly hummed. Sure enough, it didn’t take long for her to fall asleep. “Poor thing, she’s so exhausted.”

“At least she didn’t fight sleep for too long.”

“Mal texted me, Lily’s doing good. And she said she spoke to Granny, Ruby’s shaken up but she’ll be okay.”

“Nothing from Belle or Ralph on Bae?”

Mary smirked. “Why? Are you suddenly concerned about him?”

David rolled his eyes. “No. Not at all.”

“Did you see them today? You can’t deny he cares about her.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

“You didn’t force him to go home today.”

“I couldn’t really do anything about that. He chose to stay, he’s stubborn.”

“Emma’s basically dating herself. You do realize that, don’t you?”

“Bae is not Emma. Emma is her own person and she’s ten times better. A million times even.”

 

Mary softly laughed as she leaned over to turn off the light, still managing to keep one hand stroking her daughter’s soft curls.

 

“Goodnight, David.”

“Night, love.” He kissed her before sliding down in the sheets. He bent his head to kiss a sleeping Emma’s head. “Night, Princess.”

 

Mary knew it was going to happen, she didn’t expect to be sleeping through the night. She also knew it wasn’t going to be her youngest baby to wake her up. Emma’s panting and crying next to her, woke the mother up. She carefully sat up, gathering her daughter into her arms and slowly rubbed circles on her back.

 

“Shhh…it’s okay sweets, it was just a dream.”

“I couldn’t…couldn’t move.”

“What?”

“I was trapped in this tight space…couldn’t move.”

“Oh baby, it’s okay. That’s not real, you’re not trapped. You’re free.”

 

Emma shook her head, before then burying it deeper in her mother’s shoulder. It had felt so real. She was trapped, she couldn’t even describe where. It wasn’t a closet or anything. All she had known was that she wanted to escape and she couldn’t. The situation hadn’t been like the one earlier that day, it wasn’t that escaping would be dangerous, it was that she couldn’t move no matter what she did. She had zero control of the situation, as she had with most things in her life. That’s probably what scared her the most. The fear, the unknown. Anything could happen. Too many horrible things had already occurred, why did they have to keep happening?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know people want to see more protective Mama Snow and Daddy Charming, it’s coming, trust me! And as per usual, let me know what you guys want to see.


	13. Private Breakdowns

Emma woke up the next morning, still clinging to her mother. She didn’t move, she didn’t want to. For a moment, she was safe, she knew nothing could hurt her. Mary always said she felt Emma was safest by her side, maybe she was right. She could hear her mother’s heartbeat and that added to the soothing measures. Her mom was okay, she wasn’t going anywhere.

 

Emma spent 13 years without a real mother. Helga didn’t count, she couldn’t be considered one, not after all she had done to her. But Mary had been her mom, she had always loved and protected her, no matter what happened. She never gave up on her, even when she was being impossible. Emma realized that despite not having her for very long, sometimes she took her for granted. It wasn’t that she forgot how her childhood was, it was more of the fact that she had just gotten used to having her mom there. She didn’t think about what it would be like to lose her, to go back to not having a mom again.

 

Will hadn’t even been in the building, but he had brought a gun to school. Who knows what he planned on doing with it if he hadn’t been scared. What if he had gone after her mom? What if she lost her? She wouldn’t technically be an orphan again, she’d still have her father. It wasn’t the same, though. Her family wasn’t her family without her mom, dad and brother. She had worked too hard to get one, she had even given up hope. She wasn’t just going to let it slip away. Not again.

 

She could hear her dad rolling over in bed and her mom yawning, letting her know that they were awake. Neither could see her face given how tightly she was clinging to her mom, so she shut her eyes again, pretending to be asleep.

 

“Morning,” David said, kissing his wife.

Mary kissed him back for a minute. “Morning.”

David stroked his daughter’s hair. “Look at her, clinging to her mama.”

“She had a terrible nightmare last night.”

“Something tells me we should be expecting lots of those.”

“I’m scared, David,” Mary whispered. “We could’ve lost her.”

David placed his hand over his wife’s. “But we didn’t. She’s right here.”

“Still. I don’t know how I’m going to be away from her ever again.”

“The good news is, you don’t have to worry about that for a bit. Jasmine said the school would be closed for at least the rest of the week. The SWAT team had to do some damage to get inside, not to mention, I’m sure it’ll be hard for the students to go back.”

Mary let out a deep breath. “It was hard. I had to play vice principal, but I’m a mom too. A mom of a student who was in the school. I didn’t know how to handle it. There’s a difference between having to be her vice principal and what happened.”

“I know, I felt the same way,” David admitted. “Outside there were so many parents, they all just wanted to go inside and get their kids, but I had to say no, even though I wanted to do the exact same thing. Her and you.”

“We’re fine,” Mary assured him, not wanting him to worry. She was willing to take the burden for the both of them, but of course he was going to. Both of his girls were in danger and he was powerless to do anything. The baby monitor’s silence broke and cries could be heard over it.

“I’m gonna go get Neal. I don’t think any of us should leave the house today.”

“Agreed.”

 

Emma felt the bed shift and could hear her father leaving the room. She expected more silence, preparing to pretend to wake up when Neal was brought back in but then she heard her mother’s voice.

 

“You’re still pretending to be asleep?”

Emma blushed and pulled her head away. “How could you tell?”

“When you sleep, you either snore or your breathing is different than how it normally is.” Mary laughed at the look Emma gave her. “You think Neal’s the only kid I check to make sure he’s still breathing?”

“Well now I know you watch me sleep, not creepy at all.”

Mary smiled. “You’re my baby, too.” She stroked her hair. “Anymore nightmares?” Emma shook her head. “Good, see, Mama kept them away.”

Emma partially smiled. “Maybe you did.”

“How are you feeling?” The teen shrugged. “You want to talk about it?”

“Not right now.”

“Okay, sweets.”

 

David walked back in, Neal still in his pajamas in his arms.

 

“Look who’s up,” he said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“That makes both of our babies,” Mary said.

“Not a baby,” Emma mumbled.

“Do we have to go through this every day?”

“Clearly,” David teased, reaching over to kiss Emma’s forehead. “Morning, Princess.”

“Morning.” Emma still had one arm around her mom, clearly not interested in moving.

“How about I make some pancakes? And don’t say you’re not hungry, you didn’t eat yesterday.”

Emma sighed. “Fine.”

 

He handed the baby over to Mary and left the room. Neal saw his big sister and smiled.

 

“Emmy.”

“Hey kid,” she said.

“Do you think we can get Emmy to eat?” Mary cooed at her son. “I think she’ll eat to be a good example for her baby brother.”

“That kid doesn’t need my influence. He eats everything in sight.”

“Just like his big sister, usually. Must get it from you.”

 

Emma partially smiled. While it wouldn’t have mattered whether or not her and Neal shared DNA (or well, half DNA), sometimes the similarities were bittersweet. The same chin, she knew they shared the same birthmark in a particular place (though she was never going to share that with her parents) and even of the same mannerisms. They had to get them from somewhere and they did. Even Neal’s eyes. Another thing she’d never share with her parents, but he got those from Ed. It didn’t make her love him any less, they were just little facts. Little painful reminders of where they both came from.

 

“Mama?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Are you going to tell, Neal?”

“Tell Neal, what?”

“That he’s adopted.”

“Well, of course,” Mary looked down at her daughter, confused. “Just like you, it makes him all the more special, he grew in our hearts, rather than my stomach.”

“Well yeah, I get that. That’ll lead to him knowing I’m adopted too, but unlike him I don’t have pictures from when I was a baby and he’ll know I was 13 when I was. Then he’s going to ask why I was in the foster system for all that time…”

Mary got where she was going. “Sweetheart, we don’t have to tell Neal about that until you’re ready to.”

“Seriously? But you’re his parents.”

“Yes, but it’s your story. No one gets to know it unless you decide. Neal will be told his story and his alone, because he deserves to hear it. When you’re ready for him to know, that’s when he will too.”

Emma nodded, sitting up a little so she could stroke her little brother’s hair. “Thanks.”

“You know there’s nothing we would do to make you feel uncomfortable.”

 

The teen nodded and Mary watched her daughter as she looked at Neal. She caught Emma giving him a look sometimes. Not one of jealousy or anything negative. It was one of concern, fear, protection. It was one she had seen David look at Emma with, one she was sure she herself had looked at her daughter with as well, they both had probably given it to Neal too. But the blonde teen’s had an edge to it. Emma knew he wasn’t going to grow up like she did, she trusted in that. He wasn’t in the system (or he wouldn’t be for much longer). But it wasn’t just the experiences her daughter had been through, it was how she felt about herself.

 

Mary wasn’t stupid. As much as she wished that her daughter looked at herself and loved every single part of it, she knew that hadn’t happened yet. She was better than she was 2 years ago, she had slowly accepted every part of who she was and what had happened to her. But there were little comments Emma would make. Nothing big, but a dig at her own appearance, a joke about her attitude. Everyone made them about themselves, after all if you can’t laugh at yourself, what can you laugh at? But her mother saw past it. To Emma, they weren’t jokes. She really wasn’t confident in her appearance or who she was. Emma still didn’t really love herself, at least not completely. She continued to try to shut out the part of her life that had made her, her. Archie, Mary, David, everyone had tried to get her to embrace it but the truth was, Emma couldn’t until she wanted to. Until she was ready.

 

This whole incident wasn’t going to help things. Mary wished she had a magic wand, something, to just make all of this better. To erase her own fears, to get rid of Emma’s. To also ensure that nothing ever happened to her son that would make him go through the same thing. She always knew there were things out of her control, but she used to be confident, hopeful that if her children had a home with loving parents, that they would be okay. That they would know just how loved they were. That Ed could never touch either of them. But this proved that anything could happen. Neal could be wrapped up in a similar tragedy someday. It made her cuddle him closer to her.

 

She wasn’t going to let Emma get hurt again. She wouldn’t let Neal be hurt ever. She would find a way to make sure that happened, even if it meant never leaving their sides.

 

Downstairs, David finished up the pancakes and went to close the drawer, but it wouldn’t. Not at first. He kept pushing it, over and over again, taking all the aggression he had out on the damn thing. When he finally got it to close, he kept his grip on the handle, shutting his eyes. Yesterday had been complete and utter hell on him. He hadn’t been able to show his emotions, not his real ones anyway. He had to stay strong, first for the other parents around him and his colleagues. Then for Emma and Mary. Right now, he could break down.

 

He allowed himself to cry, cursing himself for not doing a better job of protecting his girls. When he married his wife, he had made a vow to stay by her side, to be her partner. He knew she could take care of herself, she wasn’t a weak little thing. She was tough as nails. But still, there were things that she needed protection from. He was able to keep the town safe. He did all he could to catch the criminals of the town, pushed for fair sentences, the works. Yet, he couldn’t keep Will in. Yes, he was a teenager, but if he had worked harder, if he had pushed more, maybe he would’ve been in juvie. He had stolen from so many businesses, vandalized properties and got to walk free because his daddy bailed him out.

 

He had hurt his Emma once before, or at least attempted to. If Baelfire hadn’t gotten there that day, who’s to say what would’ve happened. Yet, he couldn’t even get him on that. And yet again, he had put his baby girl in danger. He had caused Emma to have to hide, to not even have the support of her mother or at the very least friends during a terrible time. It was all Will’s fault, but David blamed himself. How could he have let something like this happen?

 

But he had to get himself together. Emma couldn’t see him like that and while Mary had in the past, she needed someone with hope. She was going to be going into overprotective mama drive, no doubt. He didn’t even blame her, really, but he knew there were times that she may go too far concerning Emma and to keep peace, he’d have to play both sides. He had to be strong for Emma, who he was sure was going to lose much of the progress she had made. Luckily, it seemed as if she wasn’t pushing them away physically. If she wanted to stay by their sides forever, he wasn’t going to complain.

 

David arranged the plates on a tray, splashing some water in his face and checked to make sure that his family wouldn’t know about his little breakdown. He poured out coffee for himself and Mary, OJ for Emma (who still hadn’t convinced her mother that she could consume that much caffeine) and a sippy cup with milk for Neal. They were already breaking him of the bottle, he couldn’t believe how fast he was growing. At the same time, he couldn’t wait to teach him how to do stuff, like play football...if Mary would let him.

 

He carried everything up, finding everyone in basically the same positions as they were before. Emma reluctantly moved her grip from her mom upon seeing the food, sitting up more. Mary did the same, adjusting Neal onto her lap.

 

“We’ve got plain for Neal, extra chocolate chip for the rest of us.”

“Those are my favorite,” Emma said.

“Why do you think I made them? Only the best cavity inducing treat for my little princess.” He kissed the top of her head and passed out the food and sitting down. “Do you want me to feed the baby?”

“I got it,” Mary replied, though Neal seemed to have no problem picking up the pieces on his own and putting them in his mouth. “Or he does. He can be very independent when he wants to be.”

“Gee, I wonder who he gets that from.” David winked at Emma, who rolled her eyes.

“You guys can’t blame everything he does on me. He’s clearly influenced by the two of you. He fusses around Baelfire now, Dad.”

“That’s my good boy.”

“Be nice to Bae,” Mary said.

“You have no room to talk, Mama. He told me what you said to him, about the whole bow and arrow thing,” Emma reminded her.

“What? All I said was that I own a bow and arrow. I’m not sure how that’s the same as your dad threatening him.”

“Sure…”

“Did he also explain when we had that chat?” Mary asked, raising her eyebrow.

Emma’s cheeks turned pink. She did not need her dad knowing about that. “Good pancakes, Daddy.”

“Thank you, Princess,” David said, oblivious to what the two girls were getting at.

“I do wish that your first meal in 24 hours wasn’t chocolate,” Mary said. “You should have some fruit.”

 

Emma went to protest, but remembered that it wasn’t long ago she was scared she wasn’t going to have her mom at all, let alone to remind her about that stuff. She really did just care, even if Emma ended up getting annoyed by it.

 

“I’ll eat it later, Mama,” she told her, no sarcasm in her voice.

 

Mary raised an eyebrow. Typically, that would get a sassy comeback. But who was she to complain about that?

 

Once they were all done eating, David took Neal into his and Mary’s bathroom to get them both ready for the day. Even if they were staying home, he knew they needed to change. Emma looked over at her mom, nervously. She wanted to get a shower in, but she didn’t want to be too far away from her. Mary could sense (and felt the same) apprehension.

 

“Hey, I wanted to organize your books for you. Do you think we could head into your room?”

Emma nodded. “Yeah. I’ll take a shower while you do.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

 

They got up and headed into Emma’s room. Mary didn’t miss her daughter subtly finding a way to keep a grip on her mom, without exactly holding her hand. Her poor baby girl was so scared.

 

“You know Will’s locked up, right?” Mary whispered. Emma bit her lip. “He can’t hurt you. I won’t let anything bad happen, I promise.”

Emma nodded. “Okay, Mama.”

Mary kissed the top of her head. “Go take a shower, I’ll be right out here.”

 

She watched her daughter gather up some clothes and head into the bathroom. Mary sighed, sinking down onto the bed. She was positively certain Emma wouldn’t be sleeping in this room for a while. Her phone buzzed from her robe pocket and she fished it out, seeing Jasmine’s number on the caller ID. She quickly answered it.

 

“Hey Jasmine.”

“Hi Mary Margaret. How’s Emma doing?”

“As good as she can.”

“I’m sure none of this is easy. I’ve gotten calls from a lot of the parents so I spoke with Archie Hopper. When the school reopens, he’ll be helping us with any counseling that the kids might need.”

Mary smiled. Archie was such a nice man, always wanting to help. “That’s great.”

“Anyway, I was in meetings with the board all of last night and early this morning, they completely understood why you couldn’t be there. Anyway, the repairs shouldn’t take too long.”

“Good to hear. But I’m sure parents aren’t going to want to send their kids back to the school with just fixed doors.”

“We thought of all that. We’ll be installing metal detectors for the kids to go through, there will be more mandatory locker checks.”

 

Mary winced at the thought of all of it. Storybrooke was a quaint, small town. A town that people specifically moved to in order to raise children because it was safe. She had been raised there, gone to the same high school. She had even convinced David they should move back there after his mother died, because it was where she felt they should raise a family. She knew Storybrooke was still overall safe, but people would be on edge now, paranoid. News coverage from nearby towns and even Boston were even talking about it. Thankfully there had been no fatalities, unlike the other tragedies, but it was yet another example of how cruel the world truly could be. Storybrooke was now just another name on a list, at least in Maine. Someone would mention the town, that they planned on moving there and the first thought from the other person would be “Don’t you know what happened at the high school?”

 

But, it was what they had to do in order to keep the students safe and that was the most important priority.

 

“That’s probably for the best. Are we going to have any other meetings I should know about?”

“No, none that you need to be at. I do want to do a walkthrough with you the day before we reopen. But you could even bring Emma with you to that, if you needed to.”

“Thank you for being so understanding.”

“I may not have children, but I can’t imagine how hard all of this was on you. Having your own daughter there, having to be both mom and vice principal”

 

The brunette breathed in through her nose, trying to stop herself from crying. Emma wouldn’t be much longer in the shower, she couldn’t see her upset.

 

“She’s fine, I’m fine, that’s all that matters.”

“Of course,” Jasmine replied, kindly. “I’ll talk to you soon, to work out a time.”

“Alright. Let me know if you need me to speak to any parents. I’m sure there are many concerned with the safety of the school.”

“I will, goodbye.”

“Bye.”

 

Mary hung up the phone and wiped a few stray tears that fell, quickly. Emma, David and Neal needed her at her best. It was what they deserved.

 

Meanwhile, Emma was sitting in the shower, her knees drawn to her chest, one arm around them. The other was too busy, her hand was covering her mouth as the soft pellets of water drenched her body. But that wasn’t the only source of water falling on her, she was crying too, sobbing actually. No one was going to hear her, she was sure of it. She didn’t want them to. She had been trying to keep it together. Being clingy was one thing, but she needed to cry. She knew it was okay to cry in front of her parents, but she didn’t want to, not in the capacity that she was.

 

Eventually, she got herself to calm down and pushed herself up, completing her shower. She stopped the water and dried off, getting redressed. When she looked in the mirror, she caught a glimpse of someone she hadn’t seen in a while, someone she never wanted to see again. It was the person she thought that Archie had helped her get rid of, but it was there alright. That same lost, broken little girl. No longer an orphan, but even that wasn’t going to fix everything. She just wanted to feel whole again, but wondered if she ever really was to begin with.

 

Pretty ironic, considering that was what her name meant: whole.

 

 _And they say names describe a person,_ she thought to herself as she opened the door to get back out to her bedroom, to be reunited with her mother. The person who right now could at least fill her with a little hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there we go! The family is not doing too well right now, as to be expected. How will they get through all of this? As always, tell me what you’d like to see from this story. Protective Charming family is to come, I promise.


	14. Closets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: If you are terrified of small spaces or not being able to escape from somewhere, this chapter may be triggering for you. There’s also implication of past abuse in here.

When Emma emerged from the bathroom, she sat beside her mom, wrapping her arms around her torso. Mary pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head.

 

“So, we’re all going to stay in today, we can do whatever you want.”

Emma shrugged. “You don’t have to get ready?”

“I do. You wanna come with me?”

 

The teen nodded, reluctantly letting go a little. Once back in the master bedroom, they saw that David and Neal were taken care of, so Mary felt confident in taking a shower and leaving the kids for a bit. David could tell how anxious his daughter was, so he pulled her closer.

 

“You know what I was thinking?” He asked.

“What?”

“We could see if we could get Neal to take his first steps today. He’s been pulling himself up onto stuff.”

“That could be fun.”

David saw that she was trying to look excited. He understood, it was going to take a lot more than just cute family moments to get over this one. He leaned down and kissed her temple. Neal moved his head so he could kiss Emma’s cheek too. That actually got half a smile from her. “Aw, see, Nealy loves his Emmy, don’t you bud?”

“I love him too,” Emma said, stroking his cheek.

 

The doorbell suddenly rang. David stood up slowly, heading for the door. He knew he was being overly paranoid, but they weren’t expecting any visitors. Emma felt torn. Her mom would be left alone, but her dad and brother could be in danger too. She stood up, latching onto his arm and following him downstairs. David peeked through the peep hole and saw Bae was standing there.

 

“It’s just Bae,” he assured her.

 

Emma nodded and released the grip on his arm so she could open the door. Bae gave her a small smile.

 

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey.”

“I just wanted to come by and check on you.” Emma nodded and noticed that Neal was now fussing as she was sure David had trained him to do around the teenage boy.

“Um, Daddy, we’re just going to talk on the porch swing.”

 

David nodded and watched her walk out onto the porch. He could keep a safe eye on them from inside while he bounced his son up and down.

 

“Shhh, sissy’s okay. We won’t let anything hurt her, will we?”

 

Outside, the two teenagers lowered themselves onto the porch swing. Baelfire offered his hand, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable and Emma accepted it.

 

“I’d ask if you’re okay…but I think I know the answer,” he said, gently.

Emma nodded. “I just…I feel weird being away from my parents. Even now, when I know they’re right inside.”’

“I could go…”

“No, don’t. I’m glad you’re here.”

“I know this isn’t going to be easy Emma, I can’t imagine what you just went through.”

Emma tilted her head back so she wouldn’t cry again, staring up into the sky until the tears dried out of her eyes until she could return her gaze back to him. “What about you?”

“Me?”

“How are you doing?”

“I wasn’t even in the building and you’re asking how I’m doing?”

“My dad said you waited all that time.”

“It was scary, but I’m sure only a quarter of what you went through.”

“No pain Olympics.”

Baelfire laughed. “It’s like our thing, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know how I’m going to be…I’m going to try to…”

“Em.” Bae shook his head. “You do whatever you have to do. We’ll still be here. Lily, Ruby and me.”

“You?”

“I am your boyfriend after all.”

 

Emma leaned over to kiss his cheek. Her sweet Bae.

 

Mary finished getting ready and headed into the bedroom. Empty. She could hear David comforting Neal from downstairs and raced down there, only some of her relief returning when she saw her boys.

 

“Emma,” she breathed. “Where’s Emma? David, what happened to my…”

David placed a hand on her arm and gently guided her over to where he was previously standing. He pointed out the window to show that Emma was sitting on the porch swing with Baelfire. “She’s right there.”

Mary sighed in relief, almost feeling a little silly for panicking. “Sorry, I just…”

“Don’t be sorry. Just listen to me,” David put a hand on her face. “We’re all safe, especially here. No one can hurt our babies, I promise you.”

Mary nodded, kissing him before returning her glance to the window. “I know she’s right there, I’m just nervous.”

“She’s fine. I never thought I’d say that regarding her and Baelfire, but she is.”

 

Mary sighed. Emma was literally 10 feet away from her and she felt anxious. How was she going to handle going back to work? At least Emma was going to be in the same building.

 

Eventually, Emma could feel her parents watching and knew that the visit should probably be cut short. Bae felt their presence as well and released her hand.

 

“I better get going. I’m meeting up with Lily and Ruby at Granny’s.” He knew better than to ask her to join them. Even if Emma wanted to, he had a feeling Mr. and Mrs. Nolan weren’t going to approve.

“Mal is letting Lily out of her sight?”

“I’m pretty sure it’s only because Granny is going to be there.”

Emma nodded and kissed him, briefly forgetting her parents had front row seats to this. “My new phone is supposed to come in today, I’ll text you.”

“Alright. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Same goes for you.”

 

Emma watched him go back to his car and drive away before going back inside.

 

“Daddy, don’t say a word,” she said.

“What?” David asked, feigning innocence.

“I kissed him, please don’t go chase him down the street.”

“I just don’t understand why you kiss him.”

“Because he’s a good kisser?”

“I didn’t need to know that,” he complained.

Mary wrapped an arm around her daughter. “To be fair David, you did ask.” She began not so subtly rubbing her hand up and down Emma’s arm. “You’re not cold, baby? You went out there without a jacket.”

“It’s not that cold out, Mama,” Emma told her.

“Still, you could’ve gotten sick. I don’t know if you should go outside without one of us.”

 

David sighed, there it was. He knew Mary meant well but it was Day 1 after what happened. If she kept this up, she was going to drive Emma nuts. But to his surprise, his daughter didn’t roll her eyes. Instead, she just nodded and allowed her mom to guide her into the living room. David glanced down at Neal.

 

“Freaky Friday has come early for us, buddy,” he muttered.

* * *

Things didn’t seem to improve over the next few days. Emma was now sleeping in Mary and David’s bed, neither of them minded that. And while David was, of course, anxious about being separated from his kids, Mary seemed to be in overdrive. She tended to Neal and had Emma stick by her side to help. He thought it would drive her daughter crazy, but she seemed to be as attached to Mary as her mother was to her.

 

David held off on going back to work as long as possible but a town can only go so long without a sheriff. That Saturday, he had to go in for at least a half day. Emma was not doing too well with that. In one of the rare moments that she didn’t go with her mother to help get Neal ready, she was laying on his bed when he emerged from the bathroom, dressed for work.

 

“What if something happens?” Emma asked, quietly. “What if you come across someone with a gun?”

David sighed, walking closer to his daughter and crouching down so he was at her eye level. “Listen to me Princess, I promise you, I’m going to be fine. I’m not even going out on patrol today, Leroy is. I’m just there to get some paperwork done. No one is going to hurt me.”

“You don’t know that. There could be an emergency where they need your help…”

“Even if there is, nothing bad is going to happen. I’ve been doing this for years and I always come home.”

“I’ve been going to school for years and it ended up going on lockdown.”

 

David bit his lip. He hated seeing his little girl so scared. This wasn’t his Emma. He so badly just wanted to offer to take her with him, but Mary wouldn’t agree, plus he was a little nervous of something going down. Typically, if she went to the station and he got called out, she was fine alone. He wasn’t sure if she would be this time. He cupped her cheeks so they were definitely looking one another in the eye.

 

“I promise you, I’m going to come home and I’ll be fine,” David told her. “And do I ever go back on my promises?” Emma sighed but shook her head no. He never had, not with her. “Then there we go. I’m going to be just fine and so will you.” He felt anxious about leaving her as well, but she’d have her mother. “Okay?”

“Okay.”

“That’s my brave girl. Come on, let’s go see your mom.” He lead her down to Neal’s nursery where Mary was just finishing up getting him ready. David swept the baby into his arms, kissing his cheek. “Bye bud.”

“Bye!” Neal exclaimed, cheerily.

“You see? He gets way too excited when I leave,” David grumbled, happy his wife and daughter could be a witness.

Mary smiled and wrapped an arm around his waist. “He just knows he’s well taken care of.” She leaned in, kissing him. For once, Emma didn’t gag. “Be safe,” she whispered. As worried as she was about the kids, she had the same fears as Emma. Especially after watching him run back into the building.

“I promise,” he whispered back. “I’ll always come back to my family.”

Mary nodded, cupping his cheek for a minute before taking Neal back.  “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He gave her one last kiss before doing the same to Neal’s cheek and Emma’s head. “I’ll see you guys at 2.” With that, he was gone.

 

Emma folded her arms over her chest and Mary moved closer, placing a hand on her back.

 

“He’ll be fine,” she assured her.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I know your father. He would never do anything that would mean he’d have to leave us. Now come on, let’s make your brother some breakfast before he revolts.” She hoped it’d bring a smile to her daughter’s face, but alas, nothing. They had only seen half-smiles over the past few days and weren’t sure when they’d ever get a real one again. “Alright baby, come on, let’s go.”

 

When it came time for Neal’s nap, Emma decided to take one too. She had been too freaked out to get much sleep the night before and it was quickly catching up with her. Mary tucked her in under the covers, nice and tight. Emma assured her she’d be okay alone so her mom could get some housework done. She drifted to sleep, listening to the door click shut behind Mary.

 

_Emma sat in the middle of a closet, but it wasn’t her own or even her parents’. It wasn’t the janitor’s closet she had been trapped in either. She looked around at the contents, it was dark but due to the sunlight peeking in through the slits in the door she could see a few dresses clearly fit for a little girl. None were in very good shape and there were a few shirts in even worse conditions. Faded glow and the dark space stickers were stuck to the walls, ones her pre-school teacher had given out during a party. When she heard the loud ramblings of drugged up morons in the distance, she knew just where she was. She wasn’t in Storybrooke, not by a long shot._

_She was back in Boston._

_But she wasn’t a little girl like she normally was, she was 15._

_“I’m not scared of him,” she mumbled to herself, clenching her grip on her baby blanket. “I’m not scared of any of them.” Emma would get out of there, if it was the last thing she did. She would find her parents. Ed and his gang of creeps didn’t scare her anymore, no one could hurt her like that ever again, she wouldn’t allow it._

_Emma moved so she was kneeling and pushed forward on the doors, they didn’t budge. That was odd, they didn’t lock from either side, they never had. She kept attempting to open them, but couldn’t. She was trapped._

_Her breathing shifted as suddenly it felt like the closet was closing in around her. Emma clung tighter to her blanket and put her thumb in her mouth, the only thing she could think of doing, just as she had 10 years before. The voices were getting closer and closer, but she had no chance of escape. Stuck, just as she always was. No control, no anything._

_Suddenly, the doors did burst open and she caught sight of one of Ed’s friends, that same sick smile that he always had._

_“Long time, no see, kiddo.”_

“Emma!” Emma snapped out of it when she felt someone shaking her awake. She looked up and saw her mom, looking worried. It took her a minute to realize her thumb was in her mouth and she was clutching onto her baby blanket for dear life. “Oh my baby, what happened? I came back up to check on you and you were thrashing about.”

Emma’s thumb dropped and she wiped it on her jeans. “I…nightmare…I just…”

Mary gathered her into her arms, gently rocking her. “Shhh…it’s okay. It’s alright. Mama’s here. You’re safe.” Emma clung tighter to her, burying her head into her shoulder.

“I couldn’t move,” she whimpered. “I kept trying to get out, but it wouldn’t open. Finally…finally the door did open and it reminded me why I stayed in there in the first place.”

“Ed?”

“One of his friends.”

 

Mary nodded, resting her chin atop Emma’s head so her daughter wouldn’t see the look in her eyes. She took comfort in knowing that Ed was locked up, when he made an appearance in nightmares, it was easy to remind Emma that he couldn’t hurt her anymore. It would be impossible for him to do so. But, days like these she was reminded that unfortunately, Ed wasn’t the only one to hurt her baby girl. His sick friends had done the same to her and they were all walking free. Only one of them had gotten some jail time as well, the others, there was simply no proof. Emma was a little girl, only 5 years old, at the time. Giving every name and trying to identify which picture matched the man in her memory had proved to be too hard on her. She didn’t even know all of their names. It wasn’t her fault, but as a result the rest walked free. They got to roam the streets, despite what they had done. It made Mary sick. What she wouldn’t give to show each and every one of those men just what they deserved…

 

But in the meantime, she just continued to sooth her daughter, trying to get her to calm down. Her poor baby girl. These nightmares had occurred before the lockdown, but they had gone way down. Now, because of all of it, they were back at full force.

 

“You’re safe, baby. They can’t hurt you. I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you like that again,” she whispered, soothingly. Emma just shook her head, clinging tighter. “It’s okay, you cry as much as you need to. I’m right here, you’re safe. Mama’s got you.”

 

Emma did eventually calm down and fell back asleep. Mary let out a long sigh as she tucked her back in, immense guilt filling her. Had Mary’s childhood been ideal? No. Her dad and step-mother were terrible, but they weren’t abusive, just cold. She couldn’t imagine going through what her daughter had. When her father and step-mother would have company over, Mary hated it, but she would stay downstairs. She was okay to, none ever tried to do anything to her.

 

But Emma would run and bury herself in a closet. At the age of 4, she learned that was her one shot at trying to stay safe. She couldn’t imagine having to hide out like that. It wasn’t fair. A child should be out there playing and feeling free. They shouldn’t fear their parents or their friends. Emma shouldn’t have had to come up with a hiding spot at that age, unless it was for a game of hide and seek. Then, she had to relive all of it again when she was trapped at that school. School is supposed to be a safe place for kids, a place where they learn and make new friends. Not where they have to learn to hide from possible gunmen.

 

Mary looked over at her own closet. She didn’t know how big Emma’s childhood closet had been, she had never really described it. Mary’s was definitely bigger than the janitor’s closet had been, it was a walk-in. The mother pressed one last kiss to Emma’s temple and got up, walking across the room and opening the doors. She sat down, closing them once again and just waited. She wasn’t sure what she was waiting for exactly. Neal’s baby monitor was in the room, so she would be able to hear him if he woke up. Emma was back to sleeping soundly just a few feet away. She wasn’t hiding from anyone, but she had to do it. Emma had been stuck in the janitor’s closet for a few hours. She couldn’t sit there that long, but she just had to do it.

 

After just 20 minutes, she was starting to go a little crazy. Mary wasn’t one to be scared of closed spaces, but she had never done anything like it before. How did her daughter manage to hide out multiple times a week, for several hours at a time? She didn’t have any toys to play with, all she had was her baby blanket. Yes, it was survival instinct, but it wasn’t one she should’ve been building. Mary was just in amazement that after all her daughter had been through, it took so long before anyone noticed the mental illnesses that had stemmed from this.

 

Through the slots on the door, she could see David was entering the room. He walked over to kiss a still sleeping Emma’s head and headed for the closet to put his jacket away. When he opened it, he nearly yelped out of surprise. Mary kicked him so he wouldn’t be so loud to wake up Emma. He gently crouched down in front of her.

 

“What are you doing in here?” David quietly asked.

“Sitting in a closet.”

“That’s quite obvious but I meant why?”

“Our daughter used to sit in one for several hours at a time.”

 

David suddenly understood. If he was being honest, after Emma began having panic attacks, he used to hold his breath under water in the tub for as long as he could, just to understand what it would be like to struggle with breathing, but he was never able to do it for long. Like Mary, he just wanted to understand their daughter better. But the truth was, they would never be able to. They were never going to get just what was going on in her brain. He slid down so he was sitting next to her.

 

“She had another nightmare,” Mary explained, softly.

“About being trapped and not being able to leave?”

“Yeah.”

“All we can do is be there for her right now.”

“It just kills me. What am I supposed to do next week, David? How am I supposed to leave her?”

“You’ll be in the same building.”

“It’s not the same. We were in the same building last time and then this happened.”

David sighed, wrapping an arm around her, kissing the side of her head. “I know it’s scary, but what else can we do? Eventually…things have to return to normal.”

“Things are never going to be normal again.”

“Then…we find a new normal.”

 

Mary nodded, resting her head upon his shoulder. Next week was going to be a very interesting one indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, let me know what you guys want to see in this story! Hope to have the next one up soon.


	15. Asking For Help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as of right now, I know where I want this story to go, I’m just struggling actually executing the ideas in word form. As a result, this chapter is a little shorter than the rest but I have to send my computer in soon for repairs and I’m not sure when I’ll get it back, so I wanted to get this up.

David shifted from one foot to another as he stood in the waiting room outside the office. He wasn’t sure if he was doing the right thing by coming here, but he had to at least give it a shot. The receptionist had offered him a seat, but he politely declined. He was too jittery to sit down. A moment later, the door opened and Archie stepped out.

 

“David, hello. Please come inside with me,” the therapist said, leading him into the office. “Would you like some coffee…water…”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“What’s on your mind?” Archie asked as they settled down.

“Well, I’m sure Mary’s already called you regarding what happened with Emma.”

“Yes, she has an appointment with me later this week.”

“Right. And I know that this may be overstepping, but I think…I think Mary needs some counseling too.”

“Well, I will gladly offer it to Mary Margaret, however she is an adult. It’s a bit different from Emma, I can’t exactly make her talk to me.”

“I understand. I just think she’s struggling with this and I worry about how Emma’s recovery will go, if Mary doesn’t get some help herself.”

“Why don’t you try to explain it to me.”

“Well, she’s very clingy with the kids. I understand she’s been through a lot, but especially with Emma, it’s going very far. She seems anxious whenever Emma is out of her sight. And vice versa, Emma follows her around everywhere. They just seem attached at the hip and with the two having to start up school again tomorrow, I’m just worried that they’re not allowing themselves to heal.”

“I see.” Archie wrote some stuff down. “All of this is very normal. Emma went through a trauma where some triggers were brought up. Her healing itself, is going to take time. I also see Mary’s side, it’s normal for a parent to become more protective after something like this, healthy for both sides to have separation anxiety. I’m sure you have some anxiety yourself.”

“A little,” David admitted.

“It’s normal. And while I agree, in the long run, it won’t be healthy for them to act like this, we need to give it time. This incident did only occur last week, not even a full week ago.”

“I’m not looking for an easy fix, I understand it’s going to take time. I guess I’m just concerned that maybe we’re handling this wrong to start helping the healing process.”

“You are a good father and husband,” Archie assured him. “Normally, Mary Margaret is in the sessions with Emma anyway. I can suggest we start making them joint sessions so they can work through everything together. But, Mary Margaret has to agree.”

“I understand. I just want them to get better, I want us to try to find a new normal.”

“I know you do. That also starts with you.”

“I’m confused.”

“You booked a session with me, simply to talk about your wife and daughter’s wellbeing. You simply could’ve spoken with me about this over the phone, yet you didn’t. You admit you have some anxiety about leaving the children, yourself.” Archie adjusted his glasses. “You were there that day, too.”

“I was.”

“You had to do your job, calming parents down, working with administration, all while your own child was trapped in there too. Much like Mary Margaret, you had no idea what was going on.”

David knew what he was getting at. “I’m fine. I’m just trying to help Emma and Mary.”

“You can’t help them, if you’re pushing down your feelings on the matter as well.”

“Look, they need me to be strong right now…”

“Let’s pretend that’s true, that Mary wouldn’t comfort you, which I doubt because I’ve known the two of you for years,” Archie interrupted. “You still need to work through your own feelings on the matter. You won’t be able to help Emma or Mary Margaret until you help yourself.”

 

David let out a deep breath, he knew the doctor was right. He just didn’t want to admit it. He had always been the strong one. When Mary’s dad didn’t approve of them and the fallout that came from that, he was tough. When they couldn’t get pregnant, when they had that false bit of hope, he was the one that kept it together. It wouldn’t do anyone any good for him to break down, at least in his mind. So, he only ever did it in private.

 

“We still have 45 minutes, so it’s up to you.”

David slowly nodded. “And it’s all confidential?”

“Of course, you’re paying me to be your therapist. Unless you are wishing to harm others, I have no obligation to tell anyone.”

 

The sheriff was quiet again for a few minutes.

 

“When I found out what happened to Emma, when she was younger, I promised to always protect her. I told her that nothing bad could ever happen to her again, because I was her father, that we were her parents.”

“Seems like a fairly standard promise that a parent would make their child, especially one who had been through all Emma had.”

“Emma always has this thing, we have this thing,” David smiled in spite of himself. “I don’t break my promises. No matter what, I don’t make a promise that I can’t keep. It’s what I remind her whenever she doubts something, whenever she’s unsure of her safety. I promised her that nothing bad would ever happen again… and I broke it.”

“You didn’t break it. You made a promise that wasn’t up to you to keep.”

“But I’m her father, it’s my job to protect her.”

“From what you can. But David, you can’t save her from everything. You aren’t with her every minute of the day; bad things happen all the time. Even if you were with her, some things cannot be prevented.”

“That’s so reassuring,” David muttered, bitterly.

Archie gave him a patient smile. “You didn’t break a promise to her. I know it feels like you did, but you didn’t. Do you think that this has made Emma trust you any less?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want her to know what I’m thinking. It’d be one thing for Mary to find out, but she can’t. She needs to think I’m doing okay, she needs me to be strong for her.”

* * *

Emma took Neal out of his car seat, cuddling him close to her. Mary got out, adjusting her bag and smiling at her kids. They had come so far in just a short amount of time. Well, Emma had. Neal had clearly been attached to her from the beginning.

 

“Are you sure it’s okay that I’m here?” Emma asked.

“Yes, Jasmine invited you herself. Come on,” Mary linked her arm through her daughter’s and they headed closer to the building. Immediately, they could see metal detectors had been installed. There were two side by side.

“Hi,” Jasmine said, stepping closer to them. “Oh good, you brought Neal too, he’s so cute.” She smiled, tickling him, to which he just laughed.

“So, these are the new metal detectors?” Mary asked.

“Yes, we’ll have security here to help students through them every morning,” the principal explained. “We’ve already sent notices out to students letting them know they should arrive early enough to allow them time to get through, but obviously, we’re going to tell teachers to be pretty lenient the first few days with students being late to first period.”

 

They walked inside the school and Emma felt herself doing fine with it in the beginning. It was the school she had been attending for 2 years after all. They passed by the janitor’s closet and she could see the dent still in the door, clearly from having to be kicked in. She bit down on her lip and Mary tightened her grip on her arm. She was never going to have to have to go back there, ever.

 

“We’re working on that door,” Jasmine muttered as she noticed their reactions to it. “Let’s head upstairs.”

 

All in all, not much damage had been done to the school and what had been done, had been fixed for the most part, which meant the next day they would have no problem returning.

 

“We’re having an assembly after homeroom to talk to the students, I’ll be saying a little something, Mary Margaret, you probably should as well,” Jasmine explained as they made their way back towards the door.

“Of course.”

“Dr. Hopper recommended a trauma counselor in case any of our students want to talk to one. But all in all, we do want to try to return to normal.”

“What about students leaving during the day? We can’t just keep security by the metal detectors all day.”

“For now, we’re not allowing anyone to leave campus unless they’re going home. In time, we’ll come up with a better policy.”

 

Emma thought that the whole thing would make her feel a little better, but overall, she wasn’t sure. Yes, Will was locked up out of town, but it was still scary to think about.  Anyone could do the same thing if they really wanted to. The metal detectors were only a small comfort. But, there wasn’t much she could do. She was going to have to at least attempt to get back to how things were before.

 

“So,” Mary said as they got back into the car. “What do you think?”

Emma shrugged. “I mean, it’s school.”

“I know it’s scary, but no one is going to be able to pull a threat like that again.”

“Anything could happen.”

Mary reached over, keeping one hand on the wheel, squeezing her palm into her daughter’s. “It’s going to be okay, baby.”

 

Emma wanted to believe her, but she wasn’t sure if she could. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her mom, she just wasn’t sure what her mom could do. No one could’ve stopped Will from doing what he did. These metal detectors may keep weapons out to an extent, but people found their way around them all the time.

 

Once they were back at home, Mary noticed that David’s truck was already in the drive. She found that to be weird, considering he had told her that Graham had asked him to cover his shift that day. There was no way he was possibly done already. When they went inside though, sure enough David was there.

 

“There are my favorite people,” he announced, kissing his kids on their heads before his wife’s lips.

“I thought you had to work?” Emma asked.  


David tensed up a bit. He knew he should’ve come up for a better excuse to explain his whereabouts that morning.

 

“I got done early,” he said, quickly. “Em, could you please take your brother into the kitchen? I want to talk to your mom alone for a minute.”

Emma looked a little unsure, but Mary put a hand on her arm. “I’ll be right there in a minute.” She watched her daughter go through and then looked back at him. “So, where did you really go this morning?”

David sighed. “I went to go see Archie.” There was no sense in lying to his wife, though he didn’t want to worry her.

“You went to see Archie?”

“Yes. About Emma.”

“Emma’s got a session with him this week.”

“I know. I just wanted to know if he had any tips about her separation anxiety.”

“I think it’s plenty normal. I mean, this did just happen.”

“I know, but this isn’t our daughter,” he said, gently. “She likes spending time with us, but she does like being with her friends as well.”

“She’s been through a hell of a lot.”

“I know. And I’m not expecting her to leap into action and want to do a lot of things right away, I was just trying to find the best course of action to help her.”

“We can help her,” Mary insisted. “If she’s clingy, then she’s clingy.”

David tried to find his words carefully. “Do you think that it’s not only helping Emma, but you too? By clinging onto her?”

“I’m fine.”

“Maybe, it would benefit you and Emma to have joint sessions.”

Mary studied his face for a minute. “Did you talk to Archie just about Emma, or was I in that chat too?”

“Mary…”

“David.”

David sighed. “I found you sitting in our closet because you were trying to understand what she was going through. You told her that she wasn’t allowed to go outside without one of us. While I understand your concern, I have it too, I’m just not sure if it’s healthy. I’m not expecting the two of you to be okay with being separated right away, I just think that it would help Emma if you got some help too.”

 

Mary didn’t know what to say. A part of him knew that he was right. She knew it wasn’t okay for her to have the fears she did. Even in that moment, with Emma being in the next room, she felt a little panicked. At the same time, Emma didn’t need to know that she was scared too. She had enough fear in her. She didn’t want her to pick up on it.

 

“And,” David continued. “I do think it should be together because you two went through it at the same time. You both had to face a very scary situation, you both were feeling the same thing.”

“What about you?” Mary asked, quietly. “You were there the whole time, too. You didn’t know what was going on, same as us.”

 

David’s silence said it all, as did the way he instantly straightened out. She sighed, knowing that he was struggling himself. Of course he was. And she doubted that Archie would let him spend a whole session trying to game plan her and Emma’s sessions, the therapist wouldn’t allow that. He had to have spent at least some of it talking about his own problems. But he wasn’t about to share them with her. No matter how many times she tried to get him to open up about stuff, he always seemed to clam up when it came to stuff like this. Even after his mom died. Emma may not have gotten her walls from him, but she really should’ve known how to handle her daughter’s better given her husband’s. Pushing him to talk about it, was going to be fruitless. But, if he was having his own chats with Archie, maybe it’d be good for him.

 

And if David, who hated talking about the feelings he had about stuff like this, maybe she could talk about hers. She just wasn’t sure what was going to be best for Emma. They would have to figure it out, though. The next day, she had to go back to work and Emma would be back in school. It was a tricky situation indeed.

 

When trying to get pregnant and while taking foster parent classes, Mary had read tons of books. But none of them covered topics like this one…

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, you guys let me know what you want to see happen in this story and I will try to include it. The next chapter is everyone’s first day back at the school! How will it go?


	16. First Day Back

Mary and David let Emma sleep in the next morning as they got themselves and Neal ready for the day. David wasn’t sure how he felt about the girls going back to school, but he knew they’d have to at some point. It just seemed so soon. Not that he was unhappy that there hadn’t been a ton of damage, but knowing that Emma and Mary were safe at home made going to work so much easier. But he had to use his own advice to his wife and find a way to move on from everything.

 

Mary eventually walked over to the bed and gently shook Emma awake. “Sweets, it’s time to wake up and get ready.”

“Mmm…I don’t feel good,” Emma mumbled.

 

For a moment, panic flickered through Mary’s eyes but then she got a better look at Emma’s. She could tell when her daughter was lying to her and this was one of those times. Not to mention, it was rare for Emma to ever admit she didn’t feel well. Her daughter could be in the hospital in a coma and she’d be tapping out in Morse Code “I’m fine”.

 

“Oh?” Mary asked.

“My stomach hurts…I think we should just stay home.”

Mary nodded. “So, you’d rather stay home with me fussing over you than go to school?”

Emma’s cheeks flushed. “At least I’d know where you are.”

Mary let out a sigh. “Sit up.” The blonde did as instructed and her mother pushed hair out of her face. “Emma, I’m going to be okay. I was okay during all of it.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“No, but nothing bad is going to happen. We walked through the whole school, you know that no one can bring anything bad in.”

“Anything can be made into a weapon. Just look at prison shows.”

Mary couldn’t help but chuckle as she pressed a kiss to Emma’s forehead. “I’m going to be fine, you have your phone, you can text me whenever you want.” Not exactly something a vice principal should be saying to her student, but she didn’t care. If her daughter needed her, she was going to be there. She was worried about Emma too, she would be throughout the whole day, but she had a job to do and Emma had to go to classes. “If you really feel like something’s off, you can come down to my office, okay?”

Emma nodded. “Okay.”

“Good. Go get ready, I’ll be waiting downstairs.”

 

Mary watched Emma walk out of the room just as the cat came in. She allowed the fur ball to jump on her lap as she stroked his fur. Emma being so far away from her was going to be hard. Yes, the school had metal detectors, but her daughter had raised a good point. Anything could be a weapon, if put into the wrong hands. She knew that was paranoid to think about, but she used to think the same thing about school shootings. Yes, they happened, but there was no way there could ever be one at her school, even just the threat of one. Will wasn’t the only kid of his kind. The only thing that they could do was try to find a way to not be scared anymore.

 

If that was even possible.

 

Downstairs, Emma found her parents eating breakfast, while Neal did his usual show of pushing the food around, only to attempt to throw it off the tray when he was done. David had gotten smart though and was instead distracting him with a toy every time he tried. That morning, with his fistful of Cheerios, he got distracted by Emma and dropped them on the tray.

 

“Emmy,” he babbled with a smile.

Emma attempted to match it and kissed the top of his head. “Hey Nealy.”

“There’s toast and cereal,” David offered as Emma sat down.

“I’m not really hungry.”

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

“I’ll be fine without it.”

“At least eat some toast.”

 

Emma sighed but picked up a piece of toast, taking a small bite. Her stomach really was all in knots, but she didn’t want to get into an argument so early in the morning. Especially when she was about to have to be separated from her dad for a little while.

 

“So, after school today, you’ll come down to my office,” Mary told her.

Emma nodded. “Yeah, but I’ll see you at the assembly, right?”

“Of course.”

 

Breakfast went by pretty quickly, with all of the family not saying what was on their mind. Of course they were all freaked out, there wouldn’t be a day any time soon when they weren’t going to be.

 

David, for once, understood how Mary must have felt when he started out as a rookie, along with what she went through every day. Storybrooke was a quiet town but they weren’t immune to bad things happening-that had been proven. He could die while on the job and it wasn’t something he thought about a lot. He never had a spouse with a dangerous job before. Being a vice principal wasn’t supposed to be scary for the person’s spouse and yet in that moment, it was. He wrapped his arms around her waist, looking down into her eyes. She partially smiled up at him.

 

“I’m going to be okay,” she whispered.

“Just text me throughout the day.”

“I will, I promise.” She pecked his lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” But he didn’t let go. She embraced him tightly, resting her head upon his shoulder. They stayed like that for a while until they knew they were pushing it, time wise. He pulled away and turned to Emma. “I’ll see you after school, right?”

Emma nodded, biting down on her lip. “Yeah.”

“Everything’s going to be just fine.” He knew it wasn’t what she needed to hear, he just had to say it. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. He could feel her head being buried into his shoulder and let out a small sigh.

“Love you,” she muttered.

“Love you too, Princess.”

 

Emma reluctantly got out of his arms and grabbed her bag, cuddling Neal quickly. The daycare was safe, safer than her school probably. It still wasn’t going to be leave him either. Mary felt the same as she gave him one last hug and kiss before leaving with Emma. She almost wanted to homeschool them both, forever, to ensure that they never got hurt.

 

The ride to the school was as silent as breakfast, Mary glancing over at Emma every so often, trying to get a vibe of how she was feeling. A part of her wondered if maybe she should’ve just let them stay home that day. After all, what was one more day?

 

_If you had stayed home, there’s no way either of you ever would’ve gone back._

They were among the first people there, just a short line at the metal detectors. They passed through them with ease, though Emma hated removing the necklace which contained her grandmother’s ring, no matter how temporary. It was just one thing that made her feel close to her mom and she needed that at the moment. Mary helped her put it back on as soon as she could.

 

“Well, the assembly is taking place instead of home room,” the vice principal explained. “We could go to my office before I have to go down there…”

“Emma!” Lily’s voice carried through the small area. Both mother and daughter turned around to see Lily, Ruby and Bae standing there. “There you are. That whole metal detector thing is insane.” She gave her best friend a quick hug before allowing Ruby to follow suit.

“We missed you this weekend,” she said, softly.

“I missed you guys too.”

“Hi Mrs. Nolan,” Ruby said, noticing her friend’s mom.

“Hey kids.” Typically, this would be the point where Mary walked away so her daughter could have some time with her friends, but today was different, she felt so anxious. Emma could tell and she didn’t want to leave her mom either. At the same time, she hadn’t seen anyone except Bae since everything went down and even that was only for a few minutes.

“Um…Mama, I’ll see you at the assembly,” Emma finally said.

 

Mary took the hint and nodded, looking at the group for a moment before slowly walking towards the office. Emma felt a twinge of anxiety as she did, slowly turning to face her friends. Bae, who had been waiting for Mary to walk away before touching her (after the whole run-in in Emma’s room, he didn’t think he could be too careful), wrapped his arm around her waist. She laid her head on his chest, which just made Lily smile.

 

“How are you guys doing?” Emma asked.

“Alright,” Ruby replied, shifting a bit. “I mean, it’s not as if Will was actually in the building.”

“I can’t believe they had us locked up so long for nothing.” Lily replied.

“It’s better that they did,” Ruby pointed out, shrugging. “What if he had been and they let us out? The whole thing could’ve been a lot worse.”

 

Baelfire could feel Emma’s body tighten under his grasp. He laid a kiss to her temple, one that their friends missed. That let her relax a little.

 

“I never thought I’d say this Bae, but I was for once glad that you overslept,” Lily said, to some it may have sounded sarcastic, but everyone saw past it. One less person to have to worry about in all the drama. At the same time, Bae had been worried the whole time, not just about his girlfriend but his other friends as well.

“Do we really have to sit through this assembly?” Ruby asked. “What are they possibly going to say that we don’t already know?”

“It’s just to make us feel safer,” Emma told her. “Or at least that’s what they think.”

“I just don’t think that’s going to be possible. At least not yet.”

 

Emma sighed, she was definitely right, but everyone knew they’d eventually have to try. After a few more minutes of quiet chatter, more students were arriving and they knew it was time to go to the assembly. Just as Ruby suggested, it wasn’t any more comforting than the metal detectors were. All Jasmine talked about was the fact that they were there and that everyone was responsible for coming early enough to make it in time to class.

 

“I know that you all have experienced something terrible,” the principal continued to say. “And that is probably going to bring up a lot of feelings. We have our regular guidance counselors and we have also brought in a grief counselor, you can schedule a meeting to talk with any of them to discuss how you’re doing with all of this.”

 

 _Because talking about it is really going to change the situation_ , Emma thought to herself. She knew she was being a little ridiculous. She of all people knew what therapy could do for someone. At the same time, she had been seeing Archie for nearly 2 years and she didn’t even really know how to cope with the situation. Had any of it really been helping at all? It wasn’t that she blamed the therapist, maybe it was just her. Therapy wasn’t for everyone. She knew she had an appointment with him that week and by that point she wasn’t sure if she wanted to go at all.

 

The bell rang, dismissing all of them and they were forced to go to their first class, breaking up the four friends. Emma had a class with Lily for 3rd period and they all had lunch together, so they knew they just had to make it until then.

 

Emma’s first class was pure hell for her. She could barely pay attention and she didn’t understand how anyone was actually taking notes. Her mind kept flashing back to the closet, to the fear. Not being able to talk to her mom about any of it during that time, not knowing if she was safe. What if something somehow happened again? It didn’t help that halfway through the class, there was a buzz over the PA system. Emma nearly jumped out of her seat, scared it was yet another announcement about the school being on lockdown.

 

“Could Becky Daniels please come down to the office? Her mom dropped off her lunch,” the secretary’s voice came through the intercom.

                                                                              

 _Damn it._ Emma managed to steady her breathing before anyone could notice that she was freaking out. The rest of class, she couldn’t even hear her teacher. If it wasn’t for seeing students getting up and leaving out of the corner of her eye, she wouldn’t have even known that the class was over.

 

The next few periods were more of the same thing, even the class with Lily, who didn’t seem to have a bit of a problem paying attention to what their English teacher had to say about the book they were going to be reading. Once again, the blonde missed her teacher’s instructions, so she was a little shocked by the abrupt tap upon her shoulder. Her eyes shot up and met Lily’s.

 

“Oh. What’s going on?”

“We’re supposed to break up to talk about the papers we’re supposed to write about this,” Lily explained.

“And that book is…”

Lily laughed. “Grendel.”

“Right.”

“Are you okay?”

Emma shrugged, lowering herself into the seat. “I just keep waiting for the intercom to buzz, to tell us that it’s happening again.”

“It won’t, though. You heard them, no one can bring anything dangerous to school.”

“We don’t know that. Anything could happen. This whole thing has proven it.”

Lily sighed and pushed some of her dark locks out of her face. “It was a freak thing. I know it was scary, but we can’t live our lives in fear.”

“Easier said than done,” Emma mumbled.

“Are you going to see Archie about it?”

“I know I’m supposed to…I’m just not sure if it’s going to help.”

“I thought it did…with the uh…other stuff.”

“I’m not sure if it really did, though. If it did, would I really be reacting like this?”

Lily shrugged a little. “I don’t know a lot about PTSD, but isn’t that the point? From what you said, anything can trigger it. Archie’s been able to help you before, I’m sure he could now. And you won’t be alone, you have your mom.”

 

Emma nodded, slightly. She still wasn’t sure about all of it, but that part was true. Her mom would be there the whole time. She’d still have to think about it a little.

 

“Let’s just get working on this assignment,” she finally said, trying to change the subject. “I totally zoned out, so what are we supposed to do for it?”

 

Before lunch, Emma made a stop to the rest room. But when she got to the door, something was wrong, it wasn’t opening. Her chest instantly began to tighten and her breath picked up. She tried the handle again and nothing. She began pounding on the door, not understanding how this was possible. She couldn’t be trapped, not again! It was only her first day back. Her mind was instantly going to the worst possible scenario.

 

_Will found a way back. The school’s on lock down again. Oh my God, what if it’s Ed. I have to get out of here, I can’t…_

Suddenly, the door swung open and Emma nearly fell forward, her breath still uneven as the tears were burning her eyes. She saw someone standing there looking at her as if she had three heads.

 

“Sorry…I was just leaning against the door.  No need to freak out.”

 

Emma tried to respond, but she couldn’t, her breathing was still uneven. Suddenly, she felt a hand placed on her arm. She went to push them away, when she felt the familiar texture. It was a leather bracelet. Only one person she knew wore that.

 

“Emma, let’s go over here,” Baelfire said, leading her into the stairwell. Since lunch had already started, it was empty. “What’s going on, talk to me.”

“The door…it…it wouldn’t open…trapped…I…I  can’t…” Her breathing was getting even worse.

“Hey, hey, hey, look at me.” Emma shook her head and Baelfire gently took her face into her hands. “Look at me, you’re right here. You’re okay. You’re not trapped. No one’s here, no one’s going to hurt you. Just copy my breathing.” Baelfire demonstrated and Emma slowly started to follow him. Soon, her panic attack was over. “Better?”

Emma drew a shaky breath. “Yeah. I’m sorry…I just…”

“It’s okay. You were trapped in that closet a long time.” He reached his thumb out and wiped the tears that had fallen. “Do you want to go see your mom?” She shook her head no at first and then quickly nodded. “Come on, let’s go. Are you going to be okay if I put my arm around you?” He didn’t want to trigger another attack and she nodded, feeling a little better as he wrapped an arm around her torso, leading her down the hall and into the office, straight back to where Mary’s was.

 

The whole morning Mary had been worried about Emma. Ever since the assembly, she had been able to get her work done, but she was always there. She just had a feeling that something was going to happen. So, when she found Emma in her office, being supported by Bae, she knew that she had been right. She quickly jumped up and rushed over.

 

“Emma? Are you okay? What’s going on?”

“Some idiot was leaning against the bathroom door and she couldn’t escape,” Bae explained when his girlfriend didn’t. “I think it was just an accident, but it made her have a panic attack.”

“Oh Emma…” Mary reached her hand out to touch Emma’s face and noticed just how shaken she still was.

“I…I want to go home,” Emma whispered.

“I’ll call your father, you can spend the rest of the day at the station with him,” Mary said. “I’ll get you as soon as I can.”

 

Emma nodded gratefully and turned to Bae. He simply kissed her temple.

 

“I’ll text you,” he told her softly.

“M’kay,” she whispered.

 

After he left, Mary shut the door and wrapped Emma into her arms, hugging her tight. The blonde just stood in the hug.

 

“At least you have your appointment tomorrow,” Mary told her, as she rubbed her back.

 

Emma just laid her head against her chest. She hadn’t been able to get through one day without a panic attack. How was any of this supposed to get any easier, even with Archie’s help?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and I hope you guys have a great weekend! I do have two Tumblrs: just-an-outlaw is my main account where I just reblog stuff about OUAT and other obsessions, justanoutlawfanfiction is dedicated to my stories. I do take asks on both, so if you do have a question for me, feel free to ask me there.


	17. Archie's Couch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, here is the next installment, finally. I try to get this up as much as possible but I’ve been having writer’s block. As always, feel free to tell me what you want to see. I am including Grace5231973’s request to see Emma talking to Archie in this one.
> 
> Warning: Mentions of abuse, self harm and being trapped in tight spaces are in this chapter. As always, read at your own risk.

David pulled up at the school and a security guard let him in, Mary had let them know that he was coming to get Emma. When he entered the office, he found Emma sitting in front of Mary’s desk, curled up to the side. He hated seeing her like that, it was like the fire had left her. It wasn’t that he particularly liked when she was getting into trouble, but that was who Emma was. She was strong headed, sarcastic and in that moment, she just seemed so hallow.

 

“Hey Princess,” he said. Normally, calling her that in public would lead to her rolling her eyes or a _“Really Dad?”_. Instead, she just looked up at him and attempted to smile, but none came. “Ready to go?”

Emma nodded and got up from her seat. Mary walked from behind her desk, giving her a hug. “I love you, sweets. I’ll come pick you up as soon as I can.”

“Alright, love you too,” Emma mumbled into her shoulder.

Mary turned to her husband, putting a hand on his face and he gave her a reassuring smile. “She’s going to be fine,” he told her. She took a deep breath, nodding. It had been hard being separated from Emma when she was in the building, but now she was going to be further away from her. Even so, she knew she would be safe with David.

 

Emma followed her dad back out to the truck and was silent for a bit as they started the drive back into town. David kept glancing back over at her to check her face. He didn’t want to push her to talk about what happened, but he was still worried. Before he could say anything, Emma did.

 

“I’m sorry,” she muttered.

David raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“I’m sorry you had to come all the way here.” Emma sighed. “It’s not fair. I should’ve just stayed.”

“Hey, you don’t have to apologize. Em, you’ve been though a lot, you have panic attacks. There’s nothing that I wouldn’t do for you. You know that don’t you?”

Emma bit her lip.  “Yeah.”

David smiled a bit. “Good. Did you eat?”

“No, it happened right before lunch.”

“How about we go to Granny’s? Grilled cheese and hot cocoa?” He knew that food wasn’t going to fix it, but she needed to eat and figured that it would be a nice treat.

“Don’t you have to get back to the station?”

“Leroy’s there. Come on, what do you say?”

A ghost of a smile seemed to appear on her face. “Alright.”

David grinned. “Alright.”

 

He parked his truck in front of the diner and they headed inside, being seated by one of the waitresses. It was a Tuesday afternoon, so not many patrons were in and they had their choice of seat. Emma chose a booth in the corner, clearly not wanting to have to deal with any more people than possible. David ordered for them, knowing what they wanted and watched Emma as she moved the salt and pepper shakers around, clearly avoiding talking about it.

 

“Well…you have Archie’s tomorrow,” he said, finally.

“I don’t know if I wanna go,” Emma mumbled.

David raised an eyebrow. She normally never refused to go to her sessions, at least not since the very beginning. “Em, he’s going to be able to help you.”

“Is he?” Emma’s eyes finally met his baby blues, which were filled with confusion. “I know it’s not his fault, but if any of that really helped then I would be handling this better.”

“You went through something traumatic…”

“What else is new, though?” Emma interrupted. She fumbled with the shakers in her hand and straightened them out. “I’ve already been through worse and I handled it then.”

“Sweetie,” David was trying to find his words carefully. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her more. “You didn’t handle them back then. You went undiagnosed for a long time and you know what Archie said, PTSD can take a while to pop up.”

“Either way. I’ve been seeing him for almost 2 years now.” She shrugged. “It worked for a while, kind of. I still have nightmares from time to time and ever since this happened, I’ve been having panic attacks.”

“It’s not magic, you know it’s not just going to fix everything overnight.” It had been hard for David and Mary to accept this reality. For so long, they had just hoped that things could be cured easily and they understood why they couldn’t now. Emma had been the one to help teach them that. “It’s always going to be a part of you, you just have to find ways to manage it. Which is where Archie comes in.”

“I’m not the only one who went through something and yet I’m the only one who’s freaking out.”

David bit down on his lip. “I don’t think that’s true.”

“Yeah it is.”

“I went and saw Archie the other day.”

Emma cocked her head to the side. “You did?”

David nodded. “I did.”

“But why?”

“Because my daughter and wife were trapped in a building and I had no way to save them.” He hadn’t wanted to talk about it with Emma, but it was clear he had to. She needed to see Archie, it was vital for her to start the healing process. “It’s scary.”

Emma stared at him for a minute, she hadn’t thought of it like that. She knew that her mom had been clingy since it happened, but she had been the same way so it didn’t really matter. Her dad seemed to have it handled better than any of them, though. Had he really been keeping his emotions hidden? “I never would’ve guessed…”

“Because I kept it from you,” he admitted.

“Why?” She wasn’t mad or upset, just confused.

“Because…talking about how you feel is hard.” He gave her a small smile. “But, it helps to talk about it.”

Emma sighed, sipping the hot chocolate that the waitress had dropped off. She practically inhaled the cinnamon, hoping it would somehow calm her down a bit. “And you think that talking to Archie will help me?”

“I know it has in the past. You remember how you were after Ingrid came? Even how you were back when you first came to us?” Emma nodded. “You’ve improved so much since then. You’re going to get through this, Em. You always do.”

Emma let out yet another sigh, nodding her head a bit. “Alright, I’ll go.”

David smiled. “That’s my girl.” He leaned across the table so he could kiss her head. “I love you, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. I love you, too.” She was quiet for another moment and soon, their food was brought to them. “Since I’m going to the station with you, can I look at the files? The good ones?”

David laughed, popping an onion ring into his mouth. “I suppose. Just don’t tell your mother.”

 

The next day, Emma managed to make it through her first few classes with no issue. She still wasn’t paying attention as well and she could feel her whole body radiating with anxiety, but she wasn’t having any panic attacks. She was due to go to Archie’s right after school and she wasn’t looking forward to it. The night before, Neal had been up since he was teething. Not that she had been able to sleep much anyway. A part of her just wanted to volunteer to stay home with her baby brother as a way to get out of school and therapy, but knew better than that.

 

Instead of heading to the cafeteria at lunch, she went up to the library and hid out in the back, trying to will herself to read the chapters of Beowulf that had been assigned to her. The book wasn’t really captivating her interest as much as she assumed it would. She had been trying to keep up with her homework, she didn’t want to fall behind. That seemed to be the one thing that was never affected during her manic periods. Schoolwork kept her busy and most of the time distracted her from what was really going on.

 

“Why are you sitting by yourself?” Emma wasn’t startled by her boyfriend’s voice, she had smelt his cologne when he started approaching her in the back. She lowered her book and looked up at him, seeing his trademark smile. That same one he had when he wanted to get into trouble. Not that she felt much like being the Bonnie to his Clyde that afternoon.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged and pulled out the chair next to her, watching him sit down. “Shouldn’t you be sitting with Lily and Ruby?”

“When you weren’t there, I wanted to look for you.”

“Oh. What’s with the smile?”

Bae feigned innocence. “What smile?”

“The one you get when you want to do something mischievous or when you just did something that was,” Emma pointed to his lips again when it reappeared. “That one.”

Baelfire looked back at the circulation desk where the librarian sat and then back at her, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a packet of Reese’s peanut butter cups. “Snuck these for you.”

Emma felt once again a shadow of her smile go across her face. “Thank you.” She kissed his cheek and opened the package, handing him one and taking the other.

“I was thinking…maybe this weekend we could something?” He saw the doubt that when on her face. “I know you probably don’t feel like it, but they’re doing some old-fashioned drive in thing in the beach parking lot. They’re showing Can’t Buy Me Love. I just thought it could be fun. You love movies.”

Emma bit her lip. She really didn’t feel up to doing anything, she wasn’t even sure if her parents were going to feel comfortable with her going. At the same time, she hated just sitting around thinking about it. “I’m going to see Archie today; can I give you an answer later?”

“Of course.” Bae gave her a soft smile, different than the one he had before.

Emma looked into his eyes and didn’t see disappointment or anything like she had been expecting. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? Why would you be sorry?”

“Because I’m your girlfriend, I should be able to just say yes…”

“You went through something awful,” he told her, his hand moving to be on top of hers. He was always so hesitant to make the first move around her, unsure of how she would take it. Yet, in that moment she moved her hand so their fingers were intertwined. “I understand.”

“I don’t even deserve you.” The words escaped her mouth before she could even think about it. She saw his eyes widen and wanted to pull away from him, but didn’t. It was such a corny thing to say, but it was something she believed.

“Emma. Don’t you ever say that. If anything, I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you.”

“Well don’t you say it,” her voice came out slightly more irritated than she meant it to. She hated it when Bae beat himself up, not that he did it often around her.

Bae laughed a little, in spite of the situation. “We’re weird.”

“We’re both messed up is what it is,” she mumbled. Her eyes met his and he was smiling again.

“We kind of are. It’s why we work. It’s also why I understand. You don’t have to feel bad for any of this.”

Emma nodded, still not moving her hand from his. “I don’t need to think about it. What time are you going to pick me up?”

“Em…”

“Seriously. I want to go. The girl in that movie is such a priss, but the guy sort of reminds me of you.”

Bae smirked. “Are you saying I look like Patrick Dempsey?”

“Don’t push your luck,” she told him, more of a smile going across her face.

 

Later that afternoon, Emma found herself in her mother’s station wagon as they headed to Archie’s office. Her mood had been a little better since her conversation with Bae, though not by much. She hadn’t mentioned the drive in to her mother yet, she wasn’t entirely sure that she was going. She could always back out and Bae wouldn’t get upset, but she wanted to at least try to get things back to normal. Or her new normal at least.

 

“Do you want me coming in with you?” Mary asked. Emma thought about it for a minute. A part of her did, but another wasn’t so sure.  It wasn’t as if she was going to share anything with the therapist that her mother didn’t already know, but she didn’t want to worry her mother more. She had accepted that her parents were never not going to get upset hearing about her past, not that she could blame them.

“I um, I think I want to do this alone.”

Mary nodded, kissing her head. “Alright, baby.”

 

The door to Archie’s office opened and he stepped out, a smile on his face.

 

“Hello Emma, why don’t you come in?” He stepped aside to allow the teen to enter his office, nodding to Mary. “We’ll let you know if you’re needed.”

 

Emma settled onto the couch, folding her arms over her chest as a way of protection, something she always seemed to do at the beginning of the sessions. Archie came to his chair, taking a seat and pulling out his legal pad, ready to take notes.

 

“So, I know you went through something horrible last week.”

Emma shrugged. “Yeah.”

“Do you want to explain?”

“Why do you ask me this?” Emma countered. She wasn’t really annoyed with him, she just wanted to delay talking about it.  “You know what happened and you say you want to hear it from me, but why?”

Archie chuckled. “It’s just nice to hear your perspective.”

Emma sighed, playing with the ring that hung around her neck. The locket that her parents had given her for her 14th birthday was behind it. “They thought Will had a gun so the school went on lockdown. I didn’t hear the first few calls for it, so I wasn’t able to get in a classroom…I had to hide in the janitor’s closet.”

“A closet,” Archie nodded a bit. “Given your past, how’d that make you feel?”

“I didn’t even think about it at first,” Emma admitted. “But then…I remembered.” Her lips pursed together and she could practically taste the lip gloss she had on them. “I don’t understand how I do. I was so young.”

“Sometimes these things stay with us.”

“Why me, though?” Emma’s arms unfolded and she rubbed her palms against her jeans. “I just don’t understand. Some people my age can’t remember anything from then and I can practically remember every detail.”

“When someone has gone through what you have, unfortunately, it can be hard to block out the memories. Closets are triggering for you, it only makes sense that they would be.”

“When I was little, I thought of it as a safe place,” Emma’s mind began to wander. “It was the one place I could hide without them…you know.” Her skin was still vibrating with anxiety and she could practically feel Ed’s fists colliding with her arm. “But now…I remember more. I remember some of them finding me. It didn’t always work and even if it did, it wasn’t for long.”

Archie nodded, writing more down. “What happened when they found you in the janitor’s closet?”

Emma paused for a minute. It seemed like just yesterday, despite it being nearly a week prior. “They broke down the door…they had guns…just like…” She stopped suddenly, being hit by another memory.

“Just like what?”

“Just like last time,” her voice came out in a whisper. “When I got taken away to be put in the foster system.”

“They did take you out of there, to safety. Both times.”

Emma shook her head. “The system was better than that hell hole…but things still didn’t get better. Like now, those SWAT agents got me to safety, but things haven’t gotten any better.”

“It takes time Emma, you know that.”

“Why?”

“The brain processes trauma in an interesting way. It’s especially hard if you have an existing mental illness,” Archie told her gently.

“I have plenty of those,” she muttered.

“It’s normal and you have been doing better.”

“I keep having panic attacks,” Emma replied with a scoff. “I’d hardly define that as better.”

“Have you thought about hurting yourself?” Archie questioned, adjusting his glasses.

Emma shook her head no, immediately, though then she did nod slightly. “I thought about it. A little bit. But I realized I didn’t want to, it wasn’t going to do anything.” She pulled her sleeve up a bit, looking at the scars that remained. Most had faded, but some were still prominent.

“Then you are doing better. If this was the you from a couple years back, you would’ve relapsed, but you haven’t.” He wrote some more stuff down. “Have you been using your dream journal?”

“Yeah.” She reached into her bag, pulling out the leather book and flipping in a few pages. “I keep having these dreams that I’m in the closet at Ed and Helga’s house. But I’m not little like I used to be in those dreams, I’m 15. I think I can get out and I try, but I can’t. The closet…it just gets smaller and smaller…” She paused, the memory of it hitting her, it becoming too real. She could feel her breath catch and her hands were starting to shake.

Archie held up a hand, indicating she didn’t have to go any further. “You don’t have to finish,” he told her. “Just copy my breathing.” She did as he asked, though it was shaky. “You’re here Emma, in Storybrooke. You’re not there.”

“They’re still out there,” she said, finally.

Archie’s eyebrow rose a bit. “What do you mean?”

“Ed’s friends…only him and one other guy locked up, even the other is out by now.” Emma’s frown increased. “What if one of them show up here? What if they find me?”

“They can’t find you, Emma.”

“How do you know? I didn’t think that anyone could and then Ingrid showed up.”

“Anything is possible, you’re right,” Archie got up so he could pour her some water. “But they won’t hurt you, you know your parents would never let that happen.”

“I thought that nothing bad was going to happen again,” Emma whispered as he placed the plastic cup into her hands, looking up at him. “I mean, I wasn’t stupid to think I had gotten some fairytale ending and that it’d all be smooth sailing, but I thought that nothing as bad as what happened before would. Was I stupid to think that?”

Archie shook his head as he sat back down in his chair. “No. You had hope and that’s a good thing. Bad things will happen, but good things will too. You are in a great home, in a great town and I know that it doesn’t change things, but you’re not wrong for having hope. You shouldn’t put your life on hold, worrying about what’s going to come next.”

Emma thought about Bae and his date offer. “So...it wouldn’t be wrong to go on a date this weekend?”

“I don’t think so. You have been away from your parents now, for a few hours at a time.”

“I’m scared of having a panic attack, of not being able to handle it. But I’m also scared that if I don’t do it, then I never will.”

“I understand, which is why I think it would be good for you. What’s the date?”

“Drive in.”

Archie smiled. “Sounds like a perfect thing for you and Baelfire.”

Emma took a deep breath, letting it out. “My whole body aches,” she admitted, changing the subject. “From the anxiety. I don’t want to feel this way, I’m tired of it.”

“Maybe you should start taking your medication more frequently,” he suggested. “I’m going to prescribe a lower dose that won’t make you as sleepy as your other does. It’s not going to make things magically better, but your body won’t be feeling that bad anymore.”

Emma nodded. “Thank you.”

“I don’t want you to make it a habit, but if you’re feeling that, it’s not healthy.” He started to write the script while Emma glanced down at the two necklaces that hung around her neck.

“Do you think this is how I’m always going to react to this kind of stuff?”

“I wish I could tell you that eventually the triggers will go away, but I don’t want to give you that false hope,” he gave her a small smile. “Unfortanately, this is how you are. You need to accept it, Emma. I know it’s not easy, but this is who you are. You suffer from PTSD and depression. All you can do is learn to live with those things, not try to run away from them.”

 

She wished she could take the therapist’s advice, more than anything she did. A part of her still wanted to run from it. She had a good life, the past week excluding. She had two parents that she loved and that loved her more than life itself, an adorable baby brother. She had two amazing best friends and was lucky enough to have the third turn to her boyfriend. Emma couldn’t understand why she couldn’t shake the other part of her. That wasn’t her, not the her she wanted to be anyway. She just wanted all of it to go away.

 

“Do you mind if I tell your mother about the medication?” Archie interrupted her thoughts. “I don’t have to, but I know we typically choose to tell her about these changes.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

“Great.” He looked over at the clock. “We still have a half hour. What else do you want to talk about?”

 

Literally anything but what they had to. Instead of saying that though, she tried to divulge further into her dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this. I hope to have the next one up soon, which will include Emma and Bae’s drive in date, so let me know if there’s anything you want included in that along with anything in the story in general. Try to be patient with me guys, I know I update this like once a month but I’m trying to be better about it. As always, if you have questions or prompts for this story or any of my stories, feel free to slide into my asks on my fanfiction Tumblr: justanoutlawfanfiction. Until next time friends. =)


	18. Separation Anxiety

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for a blast from the past and a Swanfire date. Also, some brother/sister bonding as requested by oncer4life11.

Emma didn’t say much on the way home from Archie’s, but that wasn’t anything out of the normal. Mary glanced over at her every so often, unsure how to feel. Archie said that the session had went very well, considering. She knew it was going to take time, she just wished that Emma didn’t have to go through all of it, again.

 

“I’m going out with Bae this weekend,” Emma broke the silence. Mary looked back over at her, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, he asked me and I said yes.” Her voice sounded almost defensive, like she didn’t expect her mom to allow her.

 

Mary would be lying if she said she wasn’t a little bit right. She was unsure about Emma being away from her for an extended period of time. School was different, she knew where she was and could be with her within a few minutes. Yes, she’d know wherever the date was but it wouldn’t be close enough. She knew she was being overprotective and that wasn’t okay. She thought about what David had said, about needing to see Archie. Her and Emma had a shared appointment coming up, one she was very apprehensive about. In the meantime, she couldn’t cling on so tight. If Emma felt that she was ready, she had to accept that. She couldn’t cling on forever. She knew she babied Emma sometimes and that was something she had to work on.

 

“Okay,” Mary slowly nodded. “Where are you two going?”

“The drive in,” Emma’s tone lightened, sounding a little surprised that her mom hadn’t put up a fuss about it. “They’re playing Can’t Buy Me Love.”

“Oh, that movie that reminds you of Bae?”

Emma smiled a little. “Yeah.”

“That should be fun.” Mary paused for a minute. “Did you talk to Archie about it?”

“He thinks I’m ready.”

“You know I’d never stop you from having fun, I just don’t want you to push yourself before you’re ready.”

Emma wrapped her arms around her chest. “I know, but I’m going to be fine. It’s just Bae.”

Mary nodded. “You know you can call me or your dad and we’ll come get you.”

“I know,” Emma repeated, partially smiling over at her. “Thanks.”

“We love you.”

“I love you guys, too.” She reached over and squeezed her mother’s free hand.

 

When they got back to the house, David was home and in the kitchen, preparing dinner. Emma went into the living room where Neal was in his pack and play. She reached in and picked him up. A big smile went across the 1-year-old’s face.

 

“Emmy,” he babbled happily.

Emma cuddled him close. “Hey kid,” she said. She looked down into his big blue eyes, feeling herself softening.

“Emmy,” Neal repeated. He saw the necklace around her neck and went to pull, but she tucked it under her shirt. A pout replaced his grin.

“Sorry, but that’s very special to Emmy, that was our grandma’s,” Emma explained. “One day, you can find out all about her.” Neal stayed pouting which made Emma smirk a bit. “Those puppy dog eyes don’t work on me. Try Dad.”

 

She settled onto the couch, still holding him in her arms. Her mind went back to the therapy session, thinking about everything she had been through. She didn’t want to hurt anymore, she didn’t want to have to think about it. Therapy helped, but it wasn’t always enough. Tears pricked to her eyes. She felt so stupid, stupid for thinking that she was safe because she had been adopted. Stupid for thinking that a bad thing couldn’t happen ever again. The world didn’t work that way, so why had she expected it to?

 

A tear trickled down her face and it felt hot against her skin. More than anything, she just wanted everything to go back to how it was. She wanted to feel safe again, she wanted to be able to have fun again.

 

A sudden touch to her face, caused her to jolt out of her thoughts. She blinked a few times and saw Neal had his tiny hand on her cheek. It was something he did every so often, just trying to have contact with his family. Deep down, Emma knew it didn’t have a significant meaning. He was only a little over a year old, he couldn’t tell when people were upset. But it was comforting to think that he knew how to help in the smallest of ways. She put a hand on top of his and gave him a small smile.

 

“I love you kid, you know that?” Neal giggled and took hold of one of her fingers. “You’re not gonna go through this shit…oh please don’t start saying that. I think Mom would ground me for life.”

 

Neal just giggled once again and Emma cuddled him close, smelling the top of his head which gave her a bit of comfort. There were always those familiar scents, the ones that were of home. Neal’s mixture of the Johnson’s shampoo and lotion had become one of them.

* * *

“You’re really going to let her go?” David asked.

Mary shrugged. “I thought about saying no, then I remembered what you said. I know I can be overprotective…”

“No one blames you,” he pointed out.

“Doesn’t mean it’s healthy.” Mary sighed. “I just wish I could protect them from everything, both of them. I mean, think about it. How many years are we going to be able to pull off not telling Neal why Emma was put in the system?”

David sighed, putting down the knife he was using to chop the vegetables. “We agreed we’d wait until Emma was ready to tell him.”

“Right, but eventually he’s going to find out. Find out that the world isn’t so innocent,” Mary bit her lip. “That people can do terrible things. That the man that created him did terrible things…to his own older sister.”

 

David moved around to the other side of the island, wrapping his arms around his wife’s waist.

 

“I wish we could protect him, protect both of them, just the same as you. But the reality is, even if they didn’t have these sad beginnings, they would still have to learn it one way or another.”

Mary shut her eyes for a minute, taking his words in. “We can’t just wrap them in bubble wrap?”

“No, we can’t just wrap them in bubble wrap,” David repeated with a grin. He saw her green eyes flicker open. “I’m not entirely thrilled with Emma going on a date…”

“You’re just saying that because you don’t like Bae,” she pointed out.

David rolled his eyes. “No, that’s not it. I don’t like that she’ll be so far away from both of us, but it’ll be good for her.”

“Did I tell you they’re going to a drive in?” She saw his eyebrows shoot up.

“A drive in? Did we take a time machine back to the 80s?”

Mary shrugged. “I don’t know, it’s a movie they both love, it could be worse.”

“We used to go to drive-ins, remember?”

“I do, I also know that this is Emma we’re talking about. Plus, I trust Bae.”

“Do you?”

“He really likes Emma and he’s been supportive,” Mary put a hand on his chest. “Question is, when you’re going to trust him?”

David sighed. “Emma’s just been through a lot. I don’t want things getting worse.”

“They won’t. It’s just a 2-hour movie and then they’ll be back. We can make her text us or call to check in, she’ll be home by curfew.”

“Alright, alright.” David let out another sigh. He was being the overprotective one at that point, but he didn’t care.

 

The weekend came fairly quickly and Emma seemed to be doing fine the day of the drive in. They knew that she wasn’t doing a hundred percent better, but weren’t as worried about being separated from her. The afternoon before she was set to go, Emma sat on the floor playing with Neal. She moved back a little, holding out her arms to him.

 

“Come on bud, it’s time to start walking,” she said.

David glanced up from his newspaper. “Good luck, Em. That kid got your stubborn gene.”

Emma rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Come on Nealy,” she said. “Come to Emmy. When you’re 13, I’ll teach you how to sneak out.”

“You do and I’ll ground you.”

“I’ll be in my 20s.”

“I’m the dad. I’ll always have the power to ground you.”

 

Emma rolled her eyes yet again and held out her arms once again for her brother. Neal looked up and pulled himself up, getting Emma’s hopes high. She actually smiled a full one for the first time since the incident. Neal wobbled a bit and let go of the table. Emma held her breath and waited. Neal took one single step before falling on his bottom.

 

“Aw, bud, so close,” she said, reaching over to ruffle his growing dark hair. David smiled at the two of them. He knew that Neal couldn’t make everything better, but Emma was definitely in a better mood whenever her baby brother was around.

Mary walked into the room, smiling at her kids together. They had a large age gap, but it was clear how much they loved each other. “Em, you got a letter.”

Emma raised an eyebrow. “A letter? People still get those?”

Mary narrowed her eyes. “Yes, people still get those. There’s no return address, though.”

 

Emma took the purple envelope from her mother and it felt a little heavy in her hands, there was clearly more than just a letter inside. She tore open the top and removed the piece of paper first.

 

_Emma,_

_I’m moving and I found some pictures I thought you might be interested in. If anything, your parents deserve to see them. Hope you’re doing well._

_-Ingrid_

 

Seeing the signature on the bottom made Emma’s stomach drop. She hadn’t heard from her aunt since they parted ways at the station a year and a half ago. She had stuck true to her word and backed away from the situation. Emma was unsure if it was because she really wanted to or if she was scared about possibly being charged with knowing about everything. She wasn’t sure what pictures Ingrid was referencing in her letter, as far as she could remember the earliest pictures she had of herself were the ones of her in foster care.

 

Slowly, she removed the small stack from the envelope. She couldn’t have been older than 6 months old in them. She was alone in each one and she could recognize the background as their crappy apartment in Oregon. In most of them, she was wrapped up in her baby blanket, the rare one of her just in a dingy t-shirt and diaper. Emma bit down on her lip, there was no sign of Ed or Helga in any of them, not that they needed to be for her to know what they had been doing when they were taken.

 

“Emma?” Mary asked, seeing the look on her face. She watched her daughter look up, a haunted look in her eyes. “Emma, what is it?”

 

She knelt next to her and looked at what she was staring at. At first she was confused until she saw the baby’s eyes. She would know them from anywhere, those were her baby’s. She had the same facial structure that Neal had, though she was much tinier. Mary reached out to touch her face in the picture. That was her baby girl, her sweet baby girl. The one she never got to know so young.

 

“That’s you,” she whispered.

Emma nodded. “Ingrid sent them.”

“Oh.” Mary didn’t know if she could be mad or relived. They had told the woman to never contact Emma again, but clearly, she wasn’t trying to stay in contact. No return address or forwarding one. Just a letter and a bunch of pictures. Pictures that she had always wanted.

 

They only had three photos of Emma from before she came with them, two from when she was very little. They were ones that they treasured, kept on the mantle. Sure, they had taken a million since the day she entered their home, but those were special. They were from a moment in time that they could never get back. These were the same. She never got to hold Emma when she was a baby, rock her to sleep or dress her in whatever silly outfits she wanted. She had missed her first steps, first words, everything.

 

It wasn’t her fault, it was no one’s. Even so, she would give anything to have those moments back. To get to replace Helga or even Ingrid.

 

David got up and walked to the other side, crouching down as well. He, too, noticed that it was his daughter. He couldn’t believe she had ever been so tiny, how any baby could be that small. That was his little princess. Just like Mary, he thought about the fact that he would never know her like that. Yes, she would always be his baby, but she didn’t become that until she was 13. He didn’t think about it often, but this served as a huge reminder that he had missed so many things. Time she had spent with people undeserving of just how adorable she was. The surroundings didn’t look great and while he wouldn’t judge if he didn’t know the situation, the fact was he did. His baby girl had been stuck in a drug den.

 

Nothing could be done about it, as much as they wished. They weren’t responsible for her back then, but now they were and they would do anything to keep her safe.

 

“You were so cute,” David said, softly, tracing her tiny nose in the picture. “So little.”

“Yeah, I think I was born early or something,” Emma mumbled. She obviously didn’t have any memories that young, but she could remember her doctors over the years talking about her being underweight and short for her age, it had nothing to do with the neglect she had faced.

“You look so much like Neal,” Mary pointed out. She held up one to her son’s face and the resemblance was a little uncanny.

 

Emma nodded. She wasn’t sure how to feel about the pictures in front of her. They were from a terrible time in her life and they couldn’t have come at a worse time. Ingrid was right, though. Her parents deserved them. They should’ve been the ones to take them. They had memories with Neal that they never would with her. If those pictures helped them with that, even just a little, she was going to be okay.

 

“You can put them wherever,” Emma told them.

“Are you sure?” Mary asked, putting a hand on her arm. “We understand if you want to get rid of them…”

“They’re yours. You deserve them, especially more than Ingrid or them.” She shrugged. “I’m just sorry there’s not more.”

David shook his head with a soft smile. “Trust me, Princess, these are more than enough.”

 

There was a honk outside and Emma shot up almost immediately. She had never been more thankful for a distraction.

 

“That’d be Bae. I better go.”

David and Mary rose to their feet. “Alright, are you sure you’re okay?” Her mother asked.

“Fine.” Emma faked a smile. “I’ll be home by curfew. I love you guys.” She kissed their cheeks and grabbed her purse, heading out the door before they could question her any further.

 

David sighed and bent down, picking the pictures up off the floor. Mary wrapped an arm around his torso, looking down at the picture that had made its way to the top. Baby Emma was wrapped in her blanket and was giving the camera a gummy smile, her whole face lit up. She made that crappy apartment look like Heaven with that grin. The same way it lit up their lives at that moment.

 

“We’re going to need new frames,” Mary said.

“I want a copy for my desk at work, this one,” David decided.

Mary smiled, kissing his cheek. “I think that can be arranged.” Emma already being apart from them made her stomach feel weird, but she’d have to soldier through. This was what was best for her.

* * *

Emma got into Bae’s car and the minute he saw her face, he could tell something was off. He waited until her seatbelt was on to ask.

 

“Are you sure you’re up for this?”

“Of course I am,” Emma said. “Why?”

“I know you, I know that look.”

Emma shrugged. “I got a letter from Ingrid today. She sent some baby pictures of me.”

“Oh.” Bae was silent for a minute as he made his way down the street. “That had to be weird.”

“I don’t know what was going on at that point, I obviously don’t remember. It just got me thinking about what did happen.”

“What’d your parents say?”

“I could tell they were worried, but also happy. They don’t have any other photos like that.”

Bae smiled. “I bet you were a cute baby.”

Blush tinted Emma’s cheeks. “Shut up, I was not.”

“Oh please, were you super tiny?”

“Not that small.”

“I have to see these.”

“The day I die, how about that?”

“Like your parents aren’t going to be putting them all over the house.” He could see the small smile on her face. “Seriously, are you okay with that?”

Emma shrugged. “I mean, it’s my past, right? It’s not who I am anymore. At the same time, my parents never got to know me that way, so they should have them.”

“As long as you can handle looking at them, that’s what matters.”

 

It didn’t take long for them to get to the beach. They got their tickets and parked close to the big screen that was hooked up. Emma adjusted her seat and glanced over at Bae who was fiddling with a bag he had brought. He pulled out some drinks followed by a few packs of candy. She didn’t recognize one of them.

 

“What are those?”

Bae raised an eyebrow. “What? Pop Rocks?”

“Pop what?”

“No.” Bae examined her face and could tell she was serious. “Really? You’ve never had Pop Rocks?”

“I don’t even know what they are.”

“My God, you’ve lived under a rock.”

 

Bae ripped open the package and poured some of the red crystal candies into her palm before doing the same to his own.

 

“Just put them on your tongue and wait,” Bae instructed.

 

Emma did as told and shut her mouth, nearly jumping as the candy started popping in her mouth. Bae grinned at her reaction, letting her smack his arm as they subsided.

 

“That was awesome,” she said, taking the pack while Bae put his own his mouth, feeling the sensation. Emma popped some more into her mouth, having the same reaction as she did before.

“I can’t believe you’ve never had those before.”

“I have been missing out, clearly.”

Emma let them fizzle out and let out a small sigh, looking at him. “I needed that. Thank you.”

“It’s just candy.”

“Still.”

 

The movie started and Bae tuned the radio so they could hear the audio. She reached over and held his hand as the opening credits played. In the pit of her stomach, she could feel a bit of separation anxiety and wondering how her parents were. She wanted to kick herself, for feeling it. Why couldn’t she just go out for a couple of hours with her boyfriend? She was having fun, yet couldn’t fully be herself. Either way, it was a start. She tried to enjoy herself, remembering that it was baby steps. She would be home soon and in that moment, she was watching one of her favorite movies and her new favorite candy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may or may not have used writing this chapter as an excuse to buy Pop Rocks. Because even though I’ve had them a million times, had to eat them for science in order to accurately write this chapter. The things I do for fanfiction. ;) Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Lately, this one has been a little harder to write and I hope as things change in my life, this will become easier to. As always, let me know what you want to see and I’ll try to include it! I always answer questions and take prompts on my fanfiction Tumblr: justanoutlawfanfiction. Until next time, friends. =)


	19. Emma Swan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Row98 wanted to see Emma training for track again, which inspired a Daddy Charming scene. Also, small reminder: in this verse, James wasn’t evil, he was David’s twin whom he was very close to.

David woke up before his alarm clock had even started to buzz. Ever since the incident at the school, his sleeping had been a little off. He was constantly worried that his phone would ring and there would be some other town tragedy to tend to. He knew that his family was safe, his wife was beside him and his children were snoozing in their bedrooms. Even so, any threat against the town, was a threat against them. He let out a deep breath and intertwined his fingers with his hair. He needed to go for a run. Ever since Neal had come into their family, he had slacked off a little on exercising. It was Sunday and he had the day off, there was nothing to be done, so he had time.

 

He got out of bed and changed into basketball shorts and a t-shirt. As he headed out of his room to find his sneakers, he saw the light was on in Emma’s room. It was a bit early for her to be up, normally she took the time to sleep in. She had insisted a few days ago that she would be okay to sleep alone, though he wasn’t sure how much he exactly thought that was true. He knocked and then opened the door. Emma sat on her bed, she was wearing a red tank top under a black sweatshirt and dark leggings. She was busy lacing up her shoes, though she glanced up at his presence.

 

“You’re up early,” he commented, tilting his head.

Emma shrugged. “I’ve been slacking off on training for track. We have a meet coming up.” She got a weird look on her face when he snorted. “What?”

“Nothing, just that your old man has been also putting off his own training. Great minds think alike.”

“Or are lazy.”

David smirked. “I guess. Do you mind if I join you?”

“Only if you can keep up.”

“Excuse me, I am the town’s sheriff.”

“Yes, but I’m only a couple of weeks out of practice, you’re what…a few months?”

“Oh, it’s so on,” David told her.

 

An actual smile went across Emma’s face. David couldn’t help but laugh again, she was so much like Mary Margaret. The two headed downstairs and he got on his sneakers, making sure to put bottles of water and Emma’s inhaler in his pocket (he was fairly certain she had “forgotten” about that). Emma threw her hair back into a ponytail and they headed out the door. They ran in complete silence for a while. The sun was just coming up over the horizon and the brisk early fall air was upon them. The leaves were slowly changing around them and soon the town would be decorated for early Halloween. It reminded Emma of when she had first arrived to Storybrooke. It seemed like Halloweentown or some other cheesy made for TV movie. Now, it was just a part of her. The small town in Maine was so different from Boston and that was good. There were times she missed aspects of it: taking the T to the tourist attractions and laugh at those visiting. There were sometimes really great free concerts by the universities. Even so, she did most of that alone.

 

Here, she had not just her parents and brother, but also her best friends. Lily, Ruby and Bae had been the first real friends that she ever had. Being in the system, it was harder to keep them when you moved so often and couldn’t exactly bring people back to your house. That wasn’t a problem with her parents. She couldn’t even count the number of times she had brought Lily and Ruby by, with it being no big deal in the world. Things were different.

 

Even so, there still felt a part of her pulling her back to Boston. A part she didn’t like. She wanted to stay as far away from there as possible. It wasn’t even because of the people that lived in that city, after being put in the system she had managed to avoid all of those men that had hurt her. This was much different. That had been a place where she was an orphan. She wasn’t one anymore.

 

So why did she want to go back so badly? Even for just the day.

 

She hadn’t even noticed how far they had got until her father stopped. She looked around and saw that they were almost near Main Street. David did all but shove a bottle of water into her hand. She laughed and took a swig of it, wiping some sweat from her brow.

 

“You would,” she said.

“I’m sorry I don’t want my daughter passing out,” he quipped back.

Emma rolled her eyes and took another sip.  “We got pretty far. Surprised you were able to keep up.”

It was David’s turn to roll his eyes as he started downing his own water. “I’m not that old you know.”

“I don’t know. Three decades, sure seems like a lot.”

“You’re the nicest daughter in the world, anyone ever tell you that?”

“Only you and Mama.”

 

Emma turned around to take in the area again. Those nagging thoughts once again filled her head and she wanted more than anything to get them out again.

 

“Are you okay?” David’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Um…yeah.”

“Emma.”

“I’m fine,” she lied. She didn’t want to worry him for no reason. “We should head back. I don’t think we left mom a note.”

 

Before David could protest, Emma finished the rest of her water and took off running in the direction of home. He let out a deep breath.

  
“Emma! Wait up!”

 

When the two arrived home, Mary was just getting up, so she tended to Neal while they hopped in the shower.  David was done first and headed down to the kitchen. Mary was bopping around the kitchen, while Neal played on the floor with his favorite toys. David bent down, sweeping him into his arms. The toddler giggled and grabbed for his face.

 

“How was your run?” Mary asked.

“It was alright, I definitely should be doing it more often. Emma had more energy than me.”

Mary giggled a bit. “She is about half your age.”

“You’re such a help, truly.” She smirked and fed him one of the strawberries she was chopping up. “I thought she was doing better, but now…I don’t know.”

“What do you mean?”

“She just seemed off towards the end of it.”

“Did she at least try to explain why?

David shook his head. “I’m trying to give it time.  I just wish she’d at least talk to me about it.”

“I wish she would too, but she’s talking to Archie. That has to be enough for now.”

 

Mary saw the look on her husband’s face and moved closer, wrapping her arm around his waist. She stood on her tip toes a bit so she could kiss him. He gave her a small smile in return and went to kiss her again, but Neal intercepted with his head. The two laughed and each gave him a kiss to the cheek.

  
“Sorry sweetie,” Mary said with a smirk. “Looks like you’re not the only guy in my life anymore.”

“Only fair, you’re not the only girl in mine.”

Mary’s nose crinkled in delight. “Can you believe that in the course of 2 years, we’ve become parents to two children?”

“That’s not the unbelievable part, what is, is that one is 15 and the other is 1.”

“Very true.” Mary stroked Neal’s cheek. “It won’t be long now before he can officially be a Nolan.”

“I know,” he smiled for a minute and then tilted his head. “You know…he doesn’t have a middle name, just like Emma didn’t.”

“That’s very true.”

“I don’t know…I mean, we always said if we had a son we would name him James…”

Mary interrupted him, putting a hand on his arm. “I think Neal James Nolan sounds perfect.”

 

David smiled once again and leaned forward, actually being able to kiss her, or at least for a few seconds.

 

“Seriously guys, it’s a bit early for all this?” Emma’s voice floated from the doorway.

Mary laughed, pulling away from her husband. “Morning Em,” she said. “Hungry?”

Emma nodded. “It takes a lot of energy to kick Dad’s butt.”

“It wasn’t a race!” David protested, causing his daughter to just shake her head and sit down at the table.

“What were you two kissing about anyway?”

“Well we were talking about this little guy here,” David smiled, bouncing Neal a bit. “Soon we’ll be able to fill out the paperwork to adopt him. Like you, he doesn’t have a middle name, so we landed on one.”

“Which is?”

“James.”

Emma smiled a bit. “Neal James Nolan, I think that’s great.”

Mary walked over, putting an arm around Emma, squeezing her shoulder. “Emma Ruth and Neal James, our beautiful babies.”

* * *

Emma sat in the library with Lily as they tried to focus on the project before them that Monday morning. Emma was finally finding a way to focus on her studies again, which was just in the nick of time, considering it was due soon.

 

“Why did we have to get stuck with the most boring book in all of existence?” She complained, throwing it down on the table.

“We’ll get through it, we just have to focus,” Lily mumbled, though she was getting tired of the book just as much as she was. For emphasis, she threw her pen at her copy.

A male voice could be heard from not far away. “Abuse of books, I should tell my mom.”

Emma looked up and rolled her eyes at Bae. “Hello to you too.”

“Seriously, what’d Grendel ever do to you?”

“Try existing,” Lily bit back. She pushed herself up. “I’m going down to the cafeteria to get a water. Do you want one?” Emma shook her head, so she walked away, Bae taking her seat.

“Getting a lot of studying done?”

“We’re trying.” She tried. “I just haven’t felt up to studying lately.”

“I can get that, I’m sure your teachers do too.”

“I don’t know, I think their patience is wearing.”

Bae frowned. “I’m sure your mom could get you an extension.”

Emma shook her head. “I don’t want to use her for that.” She sighed and pushed away her notebook. “I just want a distraction from all of it.”

“I think I may have just the thing for that.”

 

Emma raised an eyebrow and watched as he reached into his backpack, pulling out a wrapped package. She looked even more confused at that.

 

“What’s this?”

“I just saw this at the gas station and I thought of you.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything…” She took the package from him and opened it, lifting the lid.

 

Inside of the box was a keychain hanging from a chain. The outside of it was silver, with the inner black. In the middle of it was a silver swan silhouette. She lifted it from it and examined it.

 

“It’s beautiful,” she said, smiling at him. “Thank you.” She leaned over, kissing him, not even caring what the librarian thought.

Bae matched her smile. “Do you want me to put it on you?”

“Of course.” She pulled her tangled mess of hair behind her head and he latched it behind her neck. She touched it, smiling up at him.

“It looks great on you. It was just a keychain, but I know you can’t drive yet.”

Emma laughed. “Yeah, well if my dad has anything to say about it, I probably never will.”

“That’s what my dad said too, but here we are.”

“I guess that’s true. What made you pick the swan?”

Bae shrugged. “When we met, you were Emma Swan. That’s the girl that became my best friend, it’s who you’ll always be to me.”

 

Emma’s eyes met his and she fidgeted a bit in her seat. He saw something had changed in her and didn’t quite understand. She didn’t either, not at first. But the combination of the past few weeks, her nightmares and her talks with Archie…her inability to cope…all of that was because of who she used to be.

 

Or at least the girl that she wasn’t anymore.

 

“I’m not…I’m not a Swan anymore.”

Bae raised an eyebrow. “I know, you’re a Nolan, but a part of you will always be…”

“That’s not me!”

 

She didn’t mean to snap at him. It was a beautiful keychain, she loved it. It wasn’t the first time he had given her something with a swan on it, she still had the plush one he had gifted her on Valentine’s Day. They had met when she was a Swan. That was the girl he had fallen for. But that’s not who she was, not as far as she was concerned.

 

“Emma, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to make you upset,” Bae whispered. “It’s just…Emma Swan…she’s still in there…”

“No!”

 

Except he was right. If he wasn’t, she wouldn’t have been reacting in such a way. It was too late now, though. She was spiraling, just as she had a year before.

 

“She’s not in here, she’s gone. I’m not…I’m not that lost little girl.”

“I know,” Bae tried to reason with her, not liking to see her like that. “But she’s apart of you. She’s your past.”

“I don’t want to remember her!”

Before Bae could respond to that, the librarian made her way over. “Miss Nolan, this is a library. If you and Mr. Gold’s conversation is so pressing, you can take it out into the hall.”

 

Emma and Bae stared at each other for a minute. He saw the lost look in her eyes and wanted to so badly pull her into his arms. At the same time, he also knew that’s not what she wanted. She needed to be alone. He pushed himself up and adjusted his backpack.

 

“I’ll see you around,” he muttered, walking out the door.

 

Emma shut her eyes, tipping her head back, one hand still on the keychain that hung around her neck.

* * *

Archie had a light day of clients, so when he got a frantic call from Emma asking if he could see her a day early, he said yes. He was expecting her to arrive with her parents as they most often did, but to his surprise she walked in all by herself. She hadn’t been crying, she just looked…confused.

 

“Emma, come in,” he said, stepping aside. He noticed she had a small box in her hands. “What do you have there?”

“Just…I don’t even know.”

 

The two took their usual places and she opened the box, showing him the pictures that were inside. A few were from Ingrid’s letter, the rest were the others she had managed to keep from her time in the system. She arranged them on Archie’s desk.

 

“That was me,” she said.

Archie nodded. “You still have pictures from your childhood.”

“Ingrid, my biological aunt, she sent me the baby ones. The others were one I stole from foster parents, I hid them for the most part until I started living with my parents. They put them all over the house.”

“And do you have a problem with that?”

Emma shook her head. “No, I mean…they didn’t get to know me then. It’s a time we’ll never get back together.”

Archie examined her face. “Something tells me they still bother you.”

“Sometimes when I look at them, I’m able to pretend they were taken here…in Storybrooke.” Her hand brushed over the one of 8-year-old her in a Halloween costume. “That I went trick-or-treating with them.” It went to the one of 6-year-old her wearing a cast. “That they were able to take care of me when I broke my arm.”

“All the what-ifs.”

“But then I remember…I remember when they were taken…that they weren’t there…” She bit her lip, feeling the anger fill her again.

“Every picture tells a story, that’s true.”

“I hate that this is my story….that’s why I make up the alternative realities. I just want to pretend that it ever happened, that I was ever Emma Swan.”

 

Archie gave her a small smile as she tried to pack up the pictures. He stopped her though, when it came to the one of her with the broken arm. He put his hand over it, causing her to look up at him.

 

“You can’t. It’s hard to look back on the rough stuff,” Archie said. “It’s easy to just put it in a box or create new stories for the pictures. Especially given that you’ve been forced to revisit your past recently.”

 

Emma bit her lip, looking down at the picture of her. Her hair dangling down, her smile that showed her missing front teeth. No one except those who knew her, knew just how lonely she felt behind that smile. The smile that hid all the terrible abuse she had been rescued from only a year before.

 

“But you can’t let go of all that pain when you lock it in,” he continued. He held up the picture of her. “This little girl that you want to push away so badly, this is Emma Swan. She needs to know that you love her, that you have her back. No one else did back then and I know that was hard on her. You’re in the position now, to do that. To love her. To be the one person that ever did.”

 

Tears prickled Emma’s eyes as she stared at that version of her. He was right, no one had. Yes, she was loved now, but that little girl didn’t have that. She didn’t have Mary or David. She just had herself.  It wasn’t fair.

 

But maybe it also wasn’t fair to try to ignore the fact that she existed, that there was a part of her that would always exist in her heart and in her memories.

 

“I know you want to heal yourself Emma, that you think that you’ve saved yourself. The truth is, though: you can’t save yourself until you save her. I know it’s hard, but you will always be Emma Swan. Do not fight that. You don’t have to get rid of her, just because you changed your last name. Let her be loved just as much as the Nolan side of you.”

 

A tear fell down Emma’s cheek. She carefully took the picture from Archie and examined the face in it once more. She had been working so hard on loving herself, that a part of her had forgotten it wasn’t as easy as just loving who she currently was. It was loving all of her.

 

Which is why she knew just what she had to do.

 

It was why that night, she told her parents that the following day she was going to be meeting up with Lily after school. It was why she told Lily and Ruby that in fact, she had plans. Why she texted Bae, saying she owed him an apology for flipping out on him, but it’d have to wait.

 

It was why the next day, Emma was boarding a bus that would take her out of Storybrooke, to a bigger city just a few hours away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh…what is Emma doing? I actually have a majority of the next chapter written and the more reviews I get, the sooner I’ll be able to get it up. =) Let me know what you want to see and what you think. Until next time, my friends…


	20. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all. So, originally, I expected the drama in this story to go on for a little longer. However, my mind kind of took a different turn and as a result, I think after the next chapter, there will be some more fluffy chapters and then, this part of the story will be over. I do have a third installment in mind, but it takes place a bit in the future so what I’m also going to do, is kind of like what I did with The Lost Get Found and post one shots about what happened in the missing years. Of course, I will take requests for those too. I do love this verse and I know this installment is going to be shorter than the original, but like I said, some things just changed.
> 
> Disclaimer: This chapter contains mentions of past child abuse.

Mary drummed her fingers on her desk as she tried to focus on the e-mail she was sending out. She couldn’t help but shake the feeling that something was off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what. She tried to tell herself, maybe she was just being paranoid after everything that had been going on lately. After all, she was still adjusting to Emma being out of her sight. She knew it wasn’t going to do any of them, any good for her to keep hovering. It was just hard, she didn’t want to ever lose her.

 

Glancing at the clock, she knew it was just time to go home. She had no meetings to worry about and David had the day off, so he was home with Neal. Emma wouldn’t be back from Lily’s until after dinner, so it’d just be the three of them. That in itself was a pretty big rarity. She couldn’t believe how big her son was getting to be already.

 

On her way home, Mary stopped at the store to pick up something for the meal. She was going over her options, when she saw Lily and Ruby hanging out by the candy aisle. Figuring Emma wasn’t far behind, she walked over to them with a smile.

 

“Hey girls,” she said.

Ruby smiled in return. “Hi Mrs. N.”

“Spoiling your dinner with candy?”

“Don’t tell my grandmother?”

Mary laughed. “Don’t worry. Though, I suppose I should be reminding Emma that Reese’s peanut butter cups aren’t a suitable dinner. Where is she?”

Lily’s grin faded a bit and she raised an eyebrow. “How would we know?”

Mary’s face faltered a little bit. “What do you mean how would you know? Emma told me that she was hanging out at your house after school.”

Lily shook her head. “We invited her to play video games but she told us that she had plans.”

 

Mary shifted a bit, glancing around the store, as if it was some practical joke. She was half-expecting her daughter to pop up and say it was some kind of weird prank. She shut her eyes for a moment and then opened them again.

 

“If you hear from her, please call me?”

“Of course,” Lily and Ruby replied in near unison.

 

Mary dropped her basket of merchandise onto a shelf and headed out the door. The store was near the Gold house, so she went there first. She didn’t think Emma would lie about going to Bae’s, but she figured, maybe his parents weren’t home. When she knocked on the door, however, she was proven wrong when Belle answered.

 

“Mary Margaret,” she gave her a surprised smile, adjusting baby Gideon in her arms. “This is quite a surprise.”

“I’m sorry to just drop by like this, but is Emma here?”

Belle shook her head. “No, I haven’t seen her around in a couple of days. Hold on a sec.” She turned around and called out into the foyer. “Baelfire!”

The teen appeared at the door a few moments later, looking confused to see his girlfriend’s mom standing there. “Mrs. Nolan, what’s going on?”

“Have you seen Emma since school let out? Or has she texted you?”

Bae shook his head, looking a little guilty. That caused his mother to give him a look. “Baelfire, are you telling the truth?”

“Yeah, I swear. I just haven’t seen her since yesterday. She wasn’t happy, kind of exploded at me. Is she missing?”

Mary took in a deep breath, exhaling through her nose. “She told me she was hanging out with Lily and Ruby, but she lied. I don’t know where she could be.”

“I’ll call you if I hear from her,” Bae said, instantly. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything.”

Mary shook her head. “It’s alright, Bae, it’s not your fault.”

“Let us know if we can do anything,” Belle said, putting a hand on her son’s back.

“I will, thank you.”

 

Mary headed back to the car, her heart racing. She knew she shouldn’t have let Emma go, what was she thinking? Why would she even lie to her? She assumed they were past all that. Getting in her car, she tried to call Emma, only for it to go straight to voicemail.

 

“Emma, it’s Mom. Where are you? Please call me or Dad back, please.”

 

She hung up and headed home. David was sitting on the floor with Neal, playing with some toys. He glanced up, not really seeing his wife’s face.

 

“Nealy look, Mommy’s…” He trailed off when he got a better look at her eyes. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Emma’s missing.”

David jumped up before the last syllable could even come out. “What do you mean?”

“She’s not with Ruby and Lily, I checked the Gold’s too. I even called her, she’s not answering.”

 

David ran his fingers through his hair. Emma had lied to them in the past, but she was normally easy to track down. His heart began to pound in his chest, not getting easier when he saw how panicked Mary was. He knew that he had to try to stay calm for her. He placed his hands on her arms, rubbing them.

 

“I’ll get my phone, we still have that tracking app downloaded, remember?” He kissed her cheek, we’re going to find her.

 

Mary nodded, though she was still a little unsure. She watched her husband leave the room and bent down, gathering Neal into her arms. She cuddled him close and watched him protectively, almost like he would disappear next. A minute later, David reappeared with his phone.

 

“Did you find her? Does it say where she is?” Mary asked.

David’s brows were furrowed. “It just keeps moving. It says she’s on the highway, not even in Maine, but it’s going too fast for her to be walking.”

That didn’t ease any of her worry. “It’s not like she can drive.”

“I’m going to try calling some other people, like Archie. Maybe he knows where she went.”

Tears prickled Mary’s eyes. “David, what if something happened to her? What if she’s planning on doing something stupid?”

 

He wanted to assure her, say he was sure she wasn’t. A big part of him wanted to believe it too, but there was that nagging thought. Even so, he pulled her into his arms and rested his forehead against hers.

  
“We’re gonna find her, don’t you worry.”

 

While he made the call, Mary took Neal upstairs to Emma’s room to see if she took anything out of the ordinary. All of her clothes were still there, along with her laptop. Even her baby blanket was still there. She turned around to check her desk again when she noticed a folded up piece of paper taped to the mirror on her wall. She peeled it off and opened it, adjusting Neal onto her hip. Quickly opening it, she found her daughter’s messy handwriting.

 

_Mom and Dad,_

_I know you’re probably freaking out right now and I’m really sorry. I knew if I told you I wanted to do this, you’d want to come with me, but it’s something I have to do on my own. I’m going to be back home soon, I just need to visit where I came from first. I’d ask you not to worry, but you’re well…you. I’m expecting to be totally grounded, trust me._

_Love, Emma_

A little bit of relief filled Mary, though not much. Emma was going to Boston, it didn’t make much sense. She hadn’t ever shown interest in going back there. If she had, they would’ve taken her. Then again, that seemed to be the point.

 

Shoving the note into her pocket, she raced down the stairs. David was just getting off the phone.

 

“Archie says he hasn’t heard from her, but he did see her yesterday…”

Mary interrupted, grabbing their jackets and the diaper bag. “Call Mal and ask if she’d be willing to watch Neal until after midnight.”

“What? Why?”

“I know where Emma went and it’s about a 4-hour car ride each way. If we leave now, we should get there by 7.”

* * *

Emma laid her head back against the seat, it felt itchy and she realized she probably should’ve smuggled her pillow. The thought alone made her chuckle, yet another reminder of how much she had changed. She was the girl that had once lived on a park bench for 3 days in the day of winter with only a thin shirt to protect her head.

 

And a few months ago, maybe she would’ve just thought that was Emma Swan. The foster kid, the one who ran from group homes because she thought she was better off alone. Emma Nolan didn’t do stuff like that. Emma Nolan slept in a comfortable bed every night, had food in her belly.

 

Except she wasn’t just Emma Nolan. She was still Emma Swan and she was always going to be that. She was always going to be a part of her.

 

Archie’s words echoed in her head. _She needs to know that you love her. You can’t save yourself without saving her._

It was going to take some accepting and that’s what the whole point of this trip was, acceptance.

 

As the driver announced their current location, Emma did a countdown in her head and soon enough, her cell phone was vibrating. Both her parents would be home from work and would have discovered her note, the one that revealed that she hadn’t gone to Lily’s like she said she was. It explained when she’d be back and that they weren’t to worry.

 

That was like asking fish to breathe above water. She was heading into Boston alone, but she doubted she’d be leaving the same.

 

Emma didn’t bother to answer her phone, there was no point. She was leaving it on so they could track her, which they would inevitably do. Another teen would probably be worried about the cops being called, but she wasn’t. Her dad was a sheriff. He did the finding himself.

 

By the time they reached Boston, she had turned off the ringer and saw she already had 15 missed calls along with some texts. They assured her that they weren’t mad, just worried and to answer. None said anything about coming, but something told her that they were already on their way.

 

Emma hadn’t been in Boston since the day Helen drove her over the city limits to bring her to Storybrooke. Even so, it was like nothing had changed. She made her way from the train to the T, getting a day pass, knowing she was going to have to do plenty of transfers. Carefully, she tucked her grandmother’s ring into her shirt and by extension, the keychain that Bae had given her.

 

That was another apology she had to dole out once she got back.

 

The old house was a 10-minute walk from where the subway had let her off. Entering that neighborhood brought a chill over her. She tightened her sweatshirt around her as her stomach buzzed with anxiety. It was nearly evening, which meant everyone was eating dinner. She had never known her neighbors, not well anyway. She had been trained to stay inside with Ed and Helga were out, God forbid any of them actually found out that they were leaving a 4-year-old alone.

 

The house hadn’t been the one she had her start in, but she barely had memories of the Oregon apartment. She could remember moving in, the excitement of her own room. Her “bed” was just a mattress on the floor but that was better than the couch she had been on previously. Things had been great.

 

Until Ed met his friends and they added to the hell she was in.

 

Emma practiced the breathing Archie had taught her, doing her best to block out the memories of those events as she walked in front of the house. It was small, a single story. The current owners had clearly fixed it up a bit. The chipped white paint had been covered with a fresh coat of blue. The railing on the porch had been fixed and that window where Ed had punched while high was replaced. It was almost like it wasn’t the same one.

 

Some things had stayed the same, like the chimney. The fire place Helga had nearly tripped her into was connected to that and the people inside were probably wondering why so many of the bricks were cracked. But that wasn’t what she wanted to see. She walked to the side of the home, padding along the lush grass and peered into the window.

 

“Let’s hope that no cars in the driveway means no one’s home,” she muttered to herself as she peered inside. The last thing she wanted to do was to get arrested.

 

The day she had left, the mattress had been pressed up to the window, her think blanket and pillow scattered on top-her baby blanket had been clutched in her hand. The walls were a weird shade of yellow, it had been what came with the place. No toys, just some crayons and a coloring book that Ingrid had brought by. Ugly green plush carpeting had been the last “lovely” touch. At the time, she used to wish she had a room like DJ Tanner did on Full House.

 

Now, much like the exterior, the room was different. The carpets had been torn out and there was hardwood. A bed was in the center, covered with airplane covers. Numerous stuffed animals and toys were scattered about, along with a bookshelf and dresser. Her eyes drifted to the closet, the one that had been her safe haven for that long year. The door was the same for the most part and she wondered if the glow in the dark stickers were still on the walls. On the outside was a little wooden sign that said “Kellan”.

 

“Well, Kellan,” Emma whispered. “I hope you enjoy that room a lot more than I did.”

 

The memories came back, the times she hadn’t been able to hide. The street lights popped on and for a minute, she could still see the flash of the camera. Letting out a shaky breath, she shook her head. Her mind floated to the movie Forest Gump. Jenny had returned to her childhood home and pelted it with rocks. She remembered watching it as a little girl in a foster home. None of the other kids understood what had happened. But Emma did and she thought it sounded like the greatest thing in the world.

 

But that house wasn’t hers. It hadn’t even ever been a home. The new residents clearly were happy there. She wondered if they knew what had gone on behind the walls. Probably not. Who would willingly buy a former drug den?

 

Emma could’ve stood there forever, letting the terrible memories replay in her head over and over. She could’ve stared into that window, glad that the kid that slept there probably had it better than she did at that age. But there wasn’t time for that. Her phone had long stopped buzzing, which only meant one thing.

 

It took her nearly an hour and a half and a few transfers to get to the cemetery. She hadn’t been there before. In fact, she had only been to two others in her life, both in Maine, both to visit the grandmothers she never got to know. Back when Helga died, she had been too young to really understand what a funeral was. No one had brought her and she had just accepted that she was gone. It wasn’t until a classmate lost their father that she bothered to bring it up with her social worker. She had offered to take Emma, but she turned it down. Even so, Helen had given her the name of the cemetery and it stuck out in her mind.

 

While the subway ride had been a long way, it didn’t take very long for her to come across the headstone. It wasn’t anything fancy, it looked like most of the others, barring the fact that it had no flowers or any little trinkets. Emma crouched in front of it, reading the words. _Helga Fisher_. It dawned on Emma that she had never been married to Ed. Then again, why would she have been? The dates of her life followed and it was weird, Emma could never remember the exact one after it happened. They were written down on some documents, but that was it. Emma had just been so young, too young to pay attention to the date. Even odder were the words under it.

 

_Sister and Mother_

 

Clearly, that had been Ingrid’s doing. No one else would consider this woman a mother, not in the slightest.

 

“I know I never visited,” Emma said, suddenly talking. She wasn’t sure if Helga could hear her, wherever she was. It was more for the teenager than anyone else. “I thought about it sometimes, one of my foster homes was actually right down the street. Still never came.”

 

Another harsh wind blew through. This time, Emma just adjusted her backpack and let out a deep sigh. She could still see Helga’s face so clearly. She had been beautiful, even with the drugs. Emma wondered what her life would’ve been like, had she escaped like Ingrid, had she never met Ed.

 

“Guess I wouldn’t be here then,” she mused. “I wonder why you didn’t just get rid of me from the get-go. What was the purpose?”

 

The headstone just stared back, as if it were mocking her. Emma pursed her lips.

 

“I think it’s become worse since I found out you went through what I did,” she whispered. “You knew how it felt…and you never did anything. All those times he came to my room…all the times his friends did.”

 

Mary would’ve shot each and every one with her bow and arrow. She wouldn’t have let Emma be hurt like that. In some situations, there was nothing a parent could do. But in hers, there was. So many knew and no one said a word.

 

“I was just a little girl, I needed a mother and I…I thought you were one,” Emma admitted. “I thought that’s what a mother did for the longest time. I needed you and you let me down.” Tears threatened to spill down her cheek. “You let me down. You couldn’t even be bothered to clean up your act, to come back for me, to try. You never tried.”

 

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. On some weird level, it was helping. Just to be able to talk and not get a response, she could say whatever she wanted.

 

“I have a real mom now, a mama,” Emma smiled a bit at the thought of Mary. “She loves me, she’s crazily overprotective and she’s gonna ground me for life when she finds me. That’s only because she loves me, though. If I had done this with you, would you have even come looking for me? Probably not. Though, running from conflict, I guess that is a you thing.”

 

Emma pursed her lips and took her necklace out from under her shirt. The cemetery was seemingly empty, so she felt safe. The outdoor lamps shown down, allowing her to make out the swan on the keychain.

 

“I used to say I was nothing like you, but I am. I have your hair, I think we have the same smile, those rare times you did. We’re both impulsive, we freak out on those who don’t deserve it,” Emma flinched as she thought of these things, what she had been trying to avoid for so long. “I didn’t want to accept that you were still a part of, that he was…but you are. Both of you.”

 

The necklace dropped from her hand and she traced Helga’s name with her pinky.

 

“I’ll always be a Swan. That broken little girl is always going to live inside of me…I can’t change that,” she said. “I’m here to tell you, that I accept that. Or I’m trying to. The only difference is, no thanks to you, that little girl is loved.”

 

A single tear fell down her cheek.

 

“I love her,” she whispered. “I always should’ve, but I didn’t. The two of you didn’t make me think she deserved it, but she always did. I always did.”

 

Finding love from her parents, from her friends, it wasn’t enough. She needed to love herself and she was starting to believe that she did.

 

“Goodbye,” Emma said, pushing herself to stand up. “I hope wherever you are…you’ve found happiness.”

 

She turned around and there they were. Despite the tears that were running down her cheeks, she smiled.

 

“Well, I was wondering when you two were going to show up,” she said.

 

They didn’t say anything, they just bridged the gap between them. David was the first to wrap his arms around her, cradling the back of her head as he did. Snow joined in on the hug, squeezing her as hard as possible. She wrapped her arms around both of them, burying her head into the middle of both of their shoulders.

 

 _That_ was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mary and David found Emma…and now she’s going to be in so much trouble. But she went on a little adventure to where it all began. Let me know what you think and of course, what you would like to see in these next few chapters. =) Until next time, friends.


	21. Iris

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I was writing this, a song by The Goo Goo Dolls came on and I felt it fit it so well, thus the title.

_“And I don't want the world to see me_  
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
When everything's made to be broken  
I just want you to know who I am”-The Goo Goo Dolls

Mary and David didn’t let go of Emma for at least 5 minutes, not that the younger member of the family was going to complain. She let herself be swallowed up by the hug her, arms barely long enough to wrap around each of them. Her face was pressed up against David’s jacket, allowing her to smell his mix of aftershave and axe. No one said a word at first, they just allowed the embrace. The parents had known that she was going to be okay and that she hadn’t really run away, even so they had been (rightfully) worried the entire time.

 

David cradled the back of Emma’s head, just as he did every time. His eyes were shut as he did so, feeling the biggest sense of relief that he had in quite some time. His little girl was back where she belonged, their arms. She was going to come home, nothing bad had happened to her. A part of him wanted to ground her for life, while the other didn’t want to break out of that hug.

 

Mary moved her head to press a kiss to the side of her daughter’s head. She had the same urges as her husband, but also didn’t move out of the hug. Her eyes glanced down at Emma, taking her in. She looked the same as always, tumbles of blonde curls under a white beanie, her red leather jacket and the same necklace she always wore (though now there was another behind it, a swan keychain she had never seen before).

 

Emma was the first one to break the silence.  “I’m really sorry,” she mumbled, just barely loud enough for her parents to hear.

David pulled away a bit, letting out a deep breath. “I think we passed a McDonalds on the way here. How about we go sit down, get some food and talk?” He glanced over at his wife for approval and she nodded, linking her arm through Emma’s. Together, they walked to the car, Emma reluctantly letting go of her mom to get in the backseat.

 

Silence fell over them once again as they headed to the fast food restaurant. Storybrooke was such a small town that they didn’t have any chains, eating options outside Granny’s was pretty limited. Had Emma not taken off with no word, it probably would’ve been a happier occasion. After placing their orders and getting their food, they headed to a table in the back. Emma settled down next to her mother, David sitting across from them. They didn’t look angry, which surprised her. She knew she didn’t handle it in the best way, even if it had been necessary in her mind.

 

“So,” David started out.  “Not that I don’t love driving 4 hours to have some of the most fattening food in America…” A little smirk fell across Emma’s lips, she couldn’t help it. “Can you please explain to us why you did this?”

Emma bit her lip. “I was talking to Archie yesterday, about myself and how much I’ve changed since I got here.”

“I don’t think he would suggest that you do this,” Mary pointed out.

“No, no, of course he didn’t,” Emma sighed, swirling her fry in the sweet and sour sauce. “He just kept pointing out that I need to accept that the younger me, the one who…” She trailed off, biting her lip. She felt Mary squeeze her hand and she sent her a small smile. “Well, you both know. I need to accept that she’s still apart of me, I needed to love her. He was right, so I just wanted to come here…see my old house, visit Helga…just find some closure for once. Getting adopted, it was the best thing that happened to me. After it happened though, I pretended like that meant I wasn’t Emma Swan anymore and that wasn’t right. She’s always going to be a part of me…I still am her.”

Both David and Mary gave her a smile, which confused her. “Well, of course you are,” Mary replied, softly.

“You’re okay with that?”

“Emma, we didn’t love you just because you took on our last name,” David told her. “Princess, the daughter we fell in love with, that was Emma Swan. We love you, every version of you. There’s nothing you could do to change that.”

 

Emma felt blush creep upon her cheeks. Two years later and sometimes, it still took some getting used to. She didn’t think they’d ever make her leave or that they wouldn’t be a family, but sometimes she got scared. She could feel their hands go on top of hers and she met each of their eyes.

 

“I guess I just had to learn to love her too,” she whispered.

Mary pushed some of Emma’s hair behind her ear. “Well, I’m glad you did, because you’re a pretty spectacular girl, Emma Ruth.”

“One we wouldn’t change for the world,” David added.

“Even if I have a lot of problems?” Emma asked, her voice sounding a little uneasy.

“Everyone has stuff,” her father confirmed. “You love us, even though we’ve got our own issues, right?”

“Of course I do,” she replied, easily.

“You’ve been through more than you should,” Mary told her. “We are so sorry for that…”

“Mama…” Emma started to say, but was swiftly interrupted by her mom shaking her head.

“No, I know it’s not our fault, but we’re always going to feel terrible that we can’t turn back time and give you the childhood you deserve. I think it’s something we feel even more now that we have Neal,” Mary said, glancing over at David, who nodded. “At the same time, we also know, that all the pain made you who you are: our beautiful, smart, amazing, stubborn and resilient daughter.”

“I’m sure us being overprotective doesn’t make it seem like we trust you, but we do,” David added. “We wouldn’t change you for the world. It’s just because we love you so much, we don’t want you to get hurt.”

Emma nodded. “I know I don’t make it easy. I mean…I do stuff like this.”

“If you wanted to come here, we would’ve taken you, Em. We would’ve loved to see where you were those first couple of years.”

She bit down on her lip, shrugging a bit.  “I know you would’ve, it wasn’t that I didn’t want to share it with you…I just thought it was something I had to do on my own. I didn’t think you’d let me if I asked.

“I can understand that.” He let out a sigh. “I think your mother and I both have to accept that you’re growing up, that’s something that’ll also take time, including giving you some more freedom. At the same time, you are still only 15. We need to know where you are at all times, you can’t lie to us, even if you think we’ll say no.”

Emma slowly nodded her head. “I know, I’m really, really sorry.”

Mary squeezed her hand once again. “Never again, okay, sweets?” It wasn’t really a question, Emma knew this, but she nodded again anyway. “You’re grounded for 2 weeks. No going out with friends or Bae, you’re going to have extra chores around the house and no television either.”

 

Emma felt like she was really getting off easy with this and her parents knew they could’ve been harsher. At the same time, they also knew that she hadn’t really ran away. They could understand her motivations and while she went about it the wrong way, they didn’t feel they had to be too harsh. She had learned her lesson and was accepting her punishment quite well.

 

“Where’s Neal?” Emma asked. It wasn’t the first time she had noticed that he wasn’t with the group, just the first opportunity she had to question his whereabouts.

“Mal’s agreed to keep him until we got back to town,” Mary replied, taking a bite of her burger.

 

Emma felt a twinge of guilt in her. She knew that it wasn’t easy for her parents to leave Neal, they hadn’t even been on a date night since he came into their home. Their first real night away from him had been to make sure that she actually came back to Storybrooke. David and Mary could see the guilt in her and didn’t say anything in response. That wasn’t why they had been upset about Emma leaving, but figured it was something she had to think about. Emma really hadn’t thought out her plan thoroughly. Leaving with no word, outside a note that her parents might not have seen had Mary not gone into her room, wasn’t a responsible thing to do. She was young, she was learning.

 

Once they were done with their meal, they headed back out to the car. Traffic was hopefully going to be gone so they could get home by midnight. Emma curled up in the backseat, listening to the songs on the radio. She took the time to text Lily, Ruby and Bae, letting them know that she was alive. They had been blowing up her phone ever since Mary questioned them about her whereabouts. She had a lot of explaining to give them, but it was Friday night. Since she was grounded, she most likely wouldn’t be seeing them until Monday. Letting out a sigh, she lowered her phone into her pocket and shut her eyes. The sounds of her parents soft conversation was the last thing she heard before she fell asleep.

 

David pulled up in front of the Pages a quarter past twelve. Mary went to the door and Mal opened the door, a smile on her face.

 

“I cannot thank you enough,” Mary whispered to her friend as she followed her through to the living room.

“It’s no problem, I’m just glad you were able to find Emma alright. I know how scary it is to have your child go missing,” Mal replied.

 

Mary looked down at the pac and play that Mal had set up (Lily’s old one). Her son’s dark waves were certainly coming in more and more as the days went on. He was sleeping so peacefully, the blanket that Emma had knitted him wrapped tightly around his body. She reached down, lifting him into her arms. After thanking Mal once again and promising to call her soon, she headed out the door to the car. David was waiting outside of it, a smile on his face. He cradled the back of Neal’s head, kissing his temple as he whined a bit in his sleep.

 

“Shhh big guy,” he murmured, fishing out his pacifier to soothe him. He took him from Mary and strapped him into the car seat in the back. Neal seemed to wake a little, though he didn’t cry. Both parents got back up front, driving the short distance back to the house.

 

Emma’s eyes flickered open a bit as the car went back into motion. She blinked a bit and saw her brother in his rear facing seat. She gave him a small smile and reached her hand over. His tiny fingers latched around her thumb and she kissed them. Once again, she was filled with the relief of knowing he would never face the same pain that she did. His life wouldn’t be without problems, but he wasn’t going to be like her. He had their parents, he had her. How could she ever run away from any of that?

 

When they got back to the house, she sleepily headed up the stairs, her parents following close behind. David took Neal to the nursery to get him settled for bed again while Emma headed into her room. Mary waited on her bed while Emma took a quick shower (needing to get the smell of the bus off of her) before changing into her pajamas and heading back into the bedroom. By then, both of her parents were there. Mary pulled back the sheets and she practically collapsed back into them. Her father pulled up the covers, making sure her baby blanket was under her arm. Her eyes flickered shut again and she could feel each of her temples being kissed.

 

“Goodnight sweets,” Mary whispered. “We love you.”

“I love you guys too,” she mumbled, curling up a bit and hugging her blanket close to her. She was safe, warm and loved, every part of her.

* * *

Emma slept for most of the next morning and her parents let her, they knew the afternoon and evening before had been a whirlwind of emotions. They spent the rest of the day as a family, relaxing and eating comfort food. It wasn’t until Sunday that they really started on the extra chores part of her punishment. Since it was still a relatively nice day, David decided that his truck could use a good car wash. Emma threw on a long sleeved shirt and some sweats, going out with a bucket of warm sudsy water and a sponge. She looked at the monstrosity, letting out a sigh.

 

“Well, this is going to be fun,” she mumbled to herself.

 

She got to work on it, having to use a step stool for some of the parts. When she was getting off of it, she nearly tripped and found someone catching her. She assumed it was her dad until she heard the voice.

 

“For an athlete, you sure can be a little clumsy.”

 

Bae.

 

Emma straightened herself out as she found herself face to face with him. She blew a stray strand of hair from her eyes and set the bucket down, shoving her hands into her sweatshirt pockets. He didn’t look mad or upset, just like…well, Bae.

 

“I wanted to come see you,” she said. “But I’m sort of grounded.”

Bae chuckled a bit. “I figured as much. Lily said you went to Boston?”

Emma nodded. “Yeah. I uh, visited the house I lived in until I got put in the system and went to Helga’s grave.”

“Did it help?”

“Some.” She paused for a minute. “Bae, I’m really, really sorry.”

“I didn’t meant to upset you,” he said, softly.

“I know. What you said, it was right. I’m always going to be Emma Swan. She’s the person I was when I came here and she’s still a part of me. I guess…I just needed some time to accept that, to love her.”

“And?’

“And now I do. Or, at least I’m trying. It’s going to take time.”

A smile went across his face. “That’s good.”

“You didn’t deserve the freak out though. I am really, really sorry.”

“It’s alright.”

“No, it’s not.”

“I forgive you, Em.”

“But why? I mean…I’m sure it’s not normal for girlfriends to freak out like that.”

“Couples fight, we had fights back when we were friends too. I was never mad at you, just worried, a little guilty too.”

Emma shook her head. “You have no reason to feel guilty.” She put a hand over the keychain.  “I do love my necklace.”

Bae smiled again. “I’m glad.”

“I never did thank you for it,” she said, stepping forward a bit and kissing him. He deepened it for a minute, before pulling off and looking down into her big green eyes. His finger traced her cheek. “I love you.”

 

The three little words slipped out of her mouth and she bit her lip, unsure if they were too much or anything. They were ones she had wanted to say for awhile. Luckily for her, the smile stayed across his face.

 

“I love you, too.”

 

His fingers interlaced with hers and they stared at each other for a minute. She couldn’t believe how good it felt. She had found a way to not only find her family, but a great support system of friends. They were only teenagers, no one knew what the future held, but they would see.

 

“How long are you grounded?” Bae asked, breaking the silence after a little while.

“2 weeks.”

His eyebrow arched. “Seriously? Your parents are worse than my dad. If I did something like this, I’d be grounded for like, life.”

Emma giggled. “Do you want me to be grounded for longer?”

“No, no, just…think they’d adopt me?”

“Um, no. They’re all mine.  Ask Neal, I hate sharing.”

A laugh escaped his lips and he kissed her once again. “So, I guess we’ll have a date in 2 weeks?”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

 

She watched him walk off to his car, pulling away. A content sigh escaped her lips. It was going to take some time, but things were getting back to normal.

 

She went back to washing the car when she heard the door open. A moment later, a brush of fur went across her leg. She looked down to see Oliver and laughed, knowing Mary was probably not far behind. She was right when she found her mom walking towards her.

 

“I saw all that, you know,” Mary pointed out.

Emma held up the sponge in her hand in mock defense. “I didn’t invite him over, he stopped by.”

Mary smiled a bit. “So, you two are okay?”

Emma nodded. “Yeah.”

“I mean, I figured it by the kiss…” Mary smirked as blush creeped up on her daughter’s lips. “You were the ones doing it in the middle of the driveway.”

“Yeah well…who asked you anyway?” She picked up her growing cat before he tried to tip over the bucket of water out of curiosity.  Most felines hated water, except hers of course.

“You should probably be glad it was me who saw it and not your father, he wouldn’t have given you guys your privacy.”

“Clearly you were no better, Miss Spy.”

Mary laughed, kissing her cheek. “How’s the truck coming along?”

“Almost done. What’s after this?”

“Raking the leaves in the yard.”

 

Emma let out a long sigh. She knew she didn’t have a leg to stand on, she really hadn’t thought the whole plan through. Mary smiled and kissed Emma’s cheek. She knew Emma was learning her lesson and that’s why when she came inside, she’d have a mug of hot cocoa waiting for her.

 

Mary headed back into the house, finding David playing with Neal. She smiled, crouching down next to him. Her son gave her a smile in return, handing her one of his bulky plastic cars. She happily accepted it.

 

“Thank you, Nealy,” she said.

“Mama,” the little one babbled in return.

“He’s getting so big,” David commented.

“Tell me about it,” Mary stroked Neal’s hair, looking down into his big blue eyes. “Emma’s almost done washing her truck and then she’s going to rake the leaves. She already cleaned her room this morning, so I think she can take a break after that.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“We’re not being too hard on her, are we? I mean, she didn’t run away or anything. She just wanted to find some closure.”

“I know, but she lied to us about where she was going and she took a bus out of town. We were totally freaked out, she can’t just do that and get away with it.”

 

Mary let out a sigh, running her fingers through her pixie cut. David smiled a bit and took her hand. He knew that she still struggled with all of this, sometimes he did too.  It was hard to punish Emma for her behavior sometimes. Given how she grew up, they didn’t want to be too harsh. It was easy to just try to fix things and not acknowledge that she was getting older. Her choices that weekend didn’t have anything to do with what she had been going through, she just hadn’t thought it through all the way. It was their job to teach her. They were going to make mistakes along the way, they were learning along with her.

 

“I’m really glad I have you,” Mary said, finally. David tilted his head to the side.  “I just…I think about it sometimes. When you ran into that building again, I had never been more scared.”

“Mary…”

“I know why you did it, I do,” she interrupted, putting a hand up. “You were just trying to make sure our baby was safe and I can’t ever be upset with you for that. But what if Will had been in there? What if he had hurt you? Or something else had happened? I don’t think I could do any of this without you.”

David put a hand on her cheek, resting his forehead against hers. “I thought the same thing. Look, we’re not promised tomorrow, but I do know one thing, we always seem to beat the odds. We can’t keep living in fear.”

Mary bit her lip. “After everything Emma’s been through and now us lately, it’s hard.”

“I know, but if she can find hope right now, so can we. Things are getting better, we’re all finding a new normal. And the best part? We don’t have to go through any of it alone.”

 

A small smile went across Snow’s face. She pressed her lips against his for a minute before pulling away.

 

“You really are a prince charming, you know that don’t you?” She asked, wiping a tear from her eye, though the smile remained on her face.

David chuckled. “And you will always be my queen, fairest of them all.”

 

Neal began to fuss as he normally did when his parents got all mushy. Emma joked it was probably because even he knew it was gross, but they had a sneaking suspicion that he just missed the attention being on him. Mary pulled him into her arms and kissed his cheek.

 

David was right, things were going to be okay, they would find their new normal. They deserved a happy ending and that was just what they’d get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this relatively fluffy chapter! As I said, this part of our story is drawing to a close, but we still have a few chapters, so if there’s anything you want to see, let me know. Until next time friends. =)


	22. A Happy Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well everyone, I know I said that there would be a few more chapters, but honestly, they would just be jumping all over the place. So, soon there will be two new stories up for this verse. One will be about the missing years for the family and I will take prompts for that, of course, called: Times Like These. The other will be the third installment, which will be titled: Where The Heart Is. This isn’t an ending, merely…a happy beginning.

**3 Months Later**

Emma woke up to someone pulling on her leg. She groaned and rolled over, forgetting that she had crashed on the couch the night before. Luckily, she caught herself and looked down, finding Neal standing there. His blue eyes were lit up with mischief and he was grinning from ear to ear. Emma laughed groggily, shaking her head.

 

“Can I help you, little man?” She asked, pulling her into her arms and having him stand up on her stomach.

“Emmy!” He said, happily, bending down to kiss her nose. She returned the kiss.

“You are getting far too big mister, don’t you know that? You’re supposed to stay my baby brother forever.”

David’s voice came from the doorway. “Guess he missed the same message his big sister did.”

Emma looked up, a smile on her face. “Guess so.” She sat up, moving Neal onto her lap and adjusting her glasses. Her dad walked over, kissing the top of her head.

“I offered to carry you up last night, but your mom said you looked too cute.”

“Just as well,” she yawned. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep, these midterms are just killing me.”

“Well, you get a break today. It’s a special one.”

“That it is,” Emma replied, grinning down at Neal. “I better go shower. Take the kid?”

“Yup. Come here, there’s Daddy’s little boy!”

 

Emma watched as her brother’s face lit up upon being picked up by their dad. David tossed him in the air a couple of times, which only made both kids laugh uncontrollably.

 

“David Nolan, if you break my baby I am going to make you sleep on the couch for the next year,” Mary threatened as she walked into the room.

Emma shook her head, still laughing. “Forever the overprotective one, Mama.”

“Don’t you forget it,” Mary kissed her head. “You gonna go get ready?”

“Yup. I won’t take too long.”

 

Emma dashed up the stairs and took a shower before changing into her suit. She had wanted to try something a little different, as she really wasn’t much of a dress person. In the end, hers was going to match David’s, something that excited her to no end. After pulling her hair back in a ponytail, she headed downstairs. Her parents were all set too, Mary wearing a light green dress and holding Neal, who was also wearing a little suit (though his tie matched his mother’s dress). David grinned over at Emma.

 

“Well, look at my mini-me.”

“I don’t see how that’s possible,” Emma teased. “I’m adopted.”

David’s eyes widened in mock-horror. “Who told you?” Mary and Emma started laughing (as did Neal, though he didn’t get what was so funny). “We were gonna wait until you were older!”

 

Emma rolled her eyes as her laughter died down. She knew David had been waiting to use that line ever since he heard it in Easy A when they watched it a few weeks ago.

 

Not an hour later, the family sat in court, waiting for the family before them to finish up. Once they had, they stepped forward. Emma grinned when she realized it was the same judge that had presided over her own adoption.

 

“Well, it is very nice to see the Nolans back in my courtroom,” he said. “Especially since it is to expand your little family. Neal is such a lucky little boy.”

Emma nodded, stroking her brother’s cheek. “He really is.”

“Well, I see that there are no objections and I have the waiver for both biological parents’ legal rights, so, Mary Margaret and David, if you would just sign the forms.”

 

Mary put Neal into his big sister’s arms while she and David practically fought over the pen to sign the documents in front of them. Emma giggled, nuzzling her face against Neal’s. The judge was right, they were lucky. They had two dorky parents who loved them more than life itself. Sure, they could be overprotective and embarrassing, but Emma wouldn’t have it any other way. Nearly a year ago when she found out about Neal’s existence, she had been resistant. Would her parents still love her the same? Would they push her away simply because they had a baby to fuss over? They were all normal worries, but she didn’t have them anymore. Her parents could love them both equally.

 

Like her, Neal didn’t have the easiest start at life. However, thanks to Mary and David, he would have an amazing one going forward.

 

Finally, all the paperwork was filled out and the judge added his own, putting a big stamp of approval on it. “Well, it is with the greatest of pleasure, that on this day, in the town of Storybrooke, Maine, I have signed these final judgements of adoption. This makes it final, forever and all times.”

 

Tears spilled down not just Mary and David’s faces, but Emma’s too. Mary pulled her son into her arms, hugging him tightly. David pulled Emma close, wrapping his arm around his wife. They all beamed happily down at their baby boy. Neal was giggling and trying to reach up for his mother’s hair, oblivious to all going on.

 

The clerk took a picture of the four of them, one that would later hang in the living room. In the meantime, there was a celebration waiting for them at Granny’s. The family they had built would all be there: Mal, Lily, Ruby, Granny, Baelfire, Ralph, Belle and Gideon. Emma still couldn’t believe she had gone from having no family, to more than what she knew what to do with.

 

“A happy ending,” the clerk announced as she looked at the picture.

“No,” Emma looked from her brother to up at her confused parents. “A happy beginning.”

Mary grinned and kissed her cheek.  “That’s exactly right, sweets.”

* * *

 

Christmas came and passed, followed by New Year and Emma’s 16th birthday. There was summer and the start of a new year. Seasons passed, one by one.  Before anyone realized it, David and 3 ½ year old Neal were sitting in the center of a row of lawn chairs on the grass of Storybrooke High. Mal was on one side of them, Granny on the other.

  
“I can’t see Emmy!” Neal whined.

David chuckled, ruffling his son’s hair. “She’s sitting with her class,” he explained for about the tenth time.

“Why’s Mommy up there?”

“She’s the vice principal, she has to give out the diplomas.”

 

It was a tradition for the school, but one that meant a lot to Mary this year. She was going to be able to give her baby girl her diploma. She hoped with all her might that she wouldn’t burst into tears when she reached her. Jasmine stood behind the podium, reading off the names.

 

“Ruby Lucas,” she called out.

 

Ruby headed up the steps, the top of her motor board decorated and her telltale red highlights could be seen underneath. She squeezed Mary tight as she looked out into the audience. Granny was sniffling and dabbing under her glasses with a tissue. David reached over, squeezing her hand. Mal was already a mess and searching for her tissues.

 

“Miss Mal sad,” Neal pointed out.

Mal giggled a bit, kissing the sweet boy’s cheek.  “I’m not sad, just proud.”

“I know the feeling,” David told her, sharing a knowing smile.

 

As Jasmine went past the L’s and was reaching the end of the M’s, David started fumbling for his camera. Granny gently took it from him, along with Mal’s.

 

“You two enjoy this, watch your babies graduate,” she told them.

 

Emma lined up with her class, walking in a straight line towards the makeshift stage. She let out a deep breath, glancing back at her to Lily, who gave her a very enthusiastic thumbs up. A laugh escaped her lips, she was really going to miss her.

 

Each girl seemed to be doing something different. Ruby was taking a year off to do her own thing while Lily would be heading to Duke University in North Carolina for nursing. Emma had selected U of Maine, the place where her parents met. Bae had graduated a year prior and like Ruby, had taken a gap year. However, he had decided not to go in the upcoming semester and would be traveling the country. Belle and Ralph weren’t too sure how to feel about that, but were supportive.

 

The years had been good to Emma. She had her struggles and she always would. Her PTSD and depression were apart of her, but manageable. Her sessions with Archie had been cut down and with medication, she felt confident that she’d be just fine to go off on her own. Of course, she would miss her family, that was going to be an adjustment, but it was a part of life.

 

“Emma Ruth Nolan,” Jasmine said.

 

Emma smiled and stepped forward onto the stage. In the distance, she could hear David shouting “That’s my baby!” Blush spread to her face, but she soon got distracted by the tears in her mother’s eyes as she held out the diploma to her. Emma felt them in her own as she accepted it. Mary pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her cheek. Emma giggled, hugging her tighter.

 

“I am so proud of you, baby,” she whispered.

“Thank you, Mama,” she murmured back.

 

They had to pull apart so the ceremony could go on, but not before Mary gave her another kiss on the cheek. Emma headed down the stage, ready to take her official picture. In the distance, she could see her father, still standing and cheering. Neal was up on his shoulders, also clapping and trying to whistle. Emma giggled, shaking her head. Oh, how she loved her dorks.

 

Later that night, it seemed like almost everyone was gathered in the Nolan’s backyard. Of course the affair had been catered by Granny, with Emma’s favorite cake baked by Mary. Emma was dancing with Ruby and Lily to an upbeat pop song when Neal ran over to join them. He was obsessed with his big sister and her friends. To the toddler, they could do no wrong. Lucky for him, they found him adorable. Lily picked him up and started dancing with him. Mary, David and Mal watched on, smiling.

 

“How weird is it that you two have one kid starting pre-school and another starting college?” Mal teased.

“Really weird,” Mary admitted. “Our babies are growing up.”

“I can’t believe Emma is 18,” David sighed. “I still remember the day Helen gave me her profile.”

“Our sweet little girl,” Mary leaned into him and he wrapped his arm around her waist. “She was so lost.”

“You two did a fantastic job with her,” Mal told them.

“We made a few mistakes.”

“All parents do.  Remember, I’m the one that told you that?”

Mary remembered to the first time Emma had ever been angry with them. “You were right. I don’t know how we would’ve gotten through any of this without you or Archie.”

“You would’ve found a way, you’re tough.”

 

Suddenly, the music was cut off. David’s head whipped around to the DJ booth that Leroy was running and found Emma standing there holding a mic. She was so grown up now. Almost overnight, she had shot up a couple of inches and was growing into her features. Her hair was still as curly though and she still loved to wear leather jackets (though she had to get a new one as she seemed to hit a bit of a late puberty a couple of years before).

 

“I just um, wanted to say something,” Emma said. “I know I’m not one for sappy speeches and typically, I’d throw something at my parents for trying to do the same.”

 

Mary and David laughed, the latter resting her head on David’s shoulder.

 

“But this is important,” Emma twirled the cord that came from the mic a bit. “5 years ago, I was…well I was a mess. I came here, to this town, thinking I’d be here a couple weeks tops. But a couple of weeks turned into four then a little more than that. Before I knew it, I was being adopted. I um, I never really had a home until I came here. I just…I wanted to thank you…all of you. They say DNA doesn’t make a family and they’re right. Ruby, Lily, you two were my first best friends, ever and I couldn’t have asked for better dorks.” Ruby and Lily laughed, hugging each other tight. Emma looked over at her parents. “Mom, Dad, I love you so much. Thank you…for everything.”

 

David wiped the corner of his eye as the tears came down again and Mary did the same. In near synch, they mouthed back “Love you more.”

 

**Two Months Later**

The back of the yellow bug Emma had received on her 16th birthday was filled to the brim with stuff, as was the back of David’s truck. They were all ready to make the 2 hour trek to the U of Maine to drop Emma off. Well, physically ready that is.

 

Emma adjusted her purse over her shoulder as she looked around her room. Shutting her eyes, she allowed herself to drift back for a minute.

 

_David lead her up the stairs. “That’s mine and Mary’s room, and this…” He opened the door directly across the hall. “Is your room.”_

_It was a standard guest bedroom, white walls with a four poster bed in the middle with a brown bedspread. In the corner was a dresser, a desk and a T.V._

_“Mary’s going to take you shopping to make this place feel a little more like home.”_

_Home._

 

The room had changed after that and now, it had once again. Most of her items had been packed up, leaving only her bed behind. Even her baby blanket had made its way into one of the many boxes. Most importantly, numerous scrapbooks of family pictures had been added as well. Even so, she drew in a deep breath, exhaling through her nose.

 

“Ready to go, sweets?” Mary’s voice drifted towards her and she turned to face her, shrugging.

“This…this was my first home.”

Mary nodded, smiling as she walked over.  “I remember setting it all up with you.”

“Our first shopping trip,” Emma smiled in spite of her tears at the memory. “Should’ve known back then what a pain the ass that I was.”

Mary laughed, shaking her head. “My lovable pain in the ass.” She pushed a stray curl behind Emma’s ear. “You know this will always be your home, right?”

Emma nodded. “I know. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“Would never want to.”

 

Emma grinned and linked arms with her mom, heading downstairs. David was waiting with Neal, Belle and Gideon. Belle had agreed to host a playdate to make the transition easier on Neal. Even so, the 4-year-old was looking really sad.

 

“Emmy, do you have to go?” He asked.

Emma nodded, crouching in front of him. “Afraid so, kid.”

“But I don’t want you to.”

“Hey, it’s not forever. I’m just going to be a couple of hours away. I’m gonna visit lots. Mommy and Daddy will let you use their phones to Facetime me and I’ll even write you letters so you can practice reading.”

Neal sniffled a bit and walked away, returning a minute later with a piece of construction paper in his hands. “I made you a picture, for your new room.” He handed it to her and Emma looked down at it. “It’s our family. You, me, Mommy, Daddy and Ollie.” He pointed to each member of the family, including the cat, in turn.

Emma smiled at him. “I love it, I’ll hang it up as soon as I get there, okay?” Neal nodded. “Can I get a super big hug?” She opened her arms and he ran into them instantly. She cuddled him close for a bit, inhaling his head. He still had that sweet baby smell sometimes, had to be the shampoo. “I love you so much, baby bro.”

“I love you too, Emmy.”

 

Emma stood up and then hugged little Gideon too, she felt like she had watched him grow up over the years. Next was Belle, who gave her a very big squeeze.

 

“You call me if you need any help with your English classes, you hear?”

Emma grinned. “Yes, Belle. Thank you.”

Belle pulled off, handing her a bag. “Some of my favorite novels, I read them my freshman year. I thought you might appreciate them.”

“Of course, thank you,” she gave her another hug. “Tell Bae to call me when he gets to Florida?”

“I will.”

 

Emma let out one last breath and gave Neal a final hug before heading out the door with her parents. Her dad double checked that she had the right address in her GPS and enough gas to get there. This was going to be hard on him. Emma was his partner in crime, his buddy. He wasn’t quite ready for her to be going off so soon. Emma just had to keep reminding him that it was so she could be his employee in a few years. David could still remember the day she told him just what she was majoring in.

 

_David had walked in on her going over college applications. Without saying two words, he bopped around the kitchen, making her a big mug of hot chocolate. She smiled up at him gratefully. “Thanks, Dad.”_

_“It’s no problem,” he settled in front of her. “Which one’s that for.”_

_“U of Maine.”_

_David smirked. “Your old man’s alma mater.”_

_“And my mama’s.”_

_“Very true,” he nodded. “Any idea in what you’re going to major in.”_

_“Actually,” Emma set down her mug. “I do.”_

_“Oh, what?”_

_“Criminal justice.”_

_David raised an eyebrow. “Are you serious?”_

_“How else am I meant to become your deputy one day and then ultimately take your spot?”_

_David chuckled but then grew serious. “I mean, I know you’ve always been interested in what I did, but I didn’t think you’d make a career of it.”_

_“Why wouldn’t I? You’re my hero, Dad.”_

_David blinked a few times, his mouth dropping open. Emma smiled and kissed his cheek before going back to her work. He wrapped his arm around her, kissing the top of her head._

 

There was no traffic and they got there with time to spare. Emma had ended up in a 3-person suite, in a dorm really close to the campus. She seemed to be the first girl to arrive and she found her room which she would be sharing with someone who also had the initials “E.N”. The other girl, someone with the initials “R.M” had been gifted the single. Emma didn’t mind, she was used to sharing from back in her foster care days.

 

Together, her parents helped her unpack everything. Pictures were put all over the walls, including the one that Neal had drawn her. Her sheets and blankets were red. Her baby blanket definitely didn’t match, but she didn’t care as she spread it across the top. David had set to work to build her desk chair.

 

“Need some help there, Dad?” She asked.

“Nah, I got it, Princess,” he replied, determined.

Mary shook her head, laughing. She reached into one of the shopping bags she had brought and pulled out a few Tupperware containers. “So, I made your favorite treats, cookies, brownies, even some cakes. You can share them with your roommates and the other girls on your floor.”

Emma smirked. “Mama, did you really make me baked goods to share like this is kindergarten?”

“I could just as easily take them back,” Mary threatened, matching her smirk.

“Um, no thank you,” Emma took them and opened up the top one, slipping a chocolate chip cookie in her mouth. She let out a groan. “How am I going to last months without these?”

Mary smiled. “I’ll send you plenty of care packages. Plus, you’ll visit, won’t you?”

“As much as I can,” Emma promised.

 

Soon, Emma could hear wheels in the common area. She headed out into it, finding a tall blonde, who’s hair was off to the side in a braid. A big smile went across her face.

 

“I’m Elsa,” she said, extending her hand. “Your new roommate.”

“Emma,” Emma replied, smiling just as wide and shaking it. She seemed nice, not at all like a serial killer like she had been worried about.

“My parents will be up any minute and I just want to apologize in advance. They’re kinda over barring.”

“Oh trust me, I  can relate to that.”

 

The door opened again and a shorter girl with raven hair entered. She was struggling to carry a bunch of boxes as she walked and nearly dropped them. Emma swooped in, grabbing them. The girl smiled, gratefully.

 

“Thanks, I just want to make as few trips as possible,” she explained.

“You don’t have any help?” Elsa asked.

The girl’s smile faltered. “Uh, not really the family type. I’m Regina Mills, by the way. Your other roommate.”

“I’m Emma, that’s Elsa,” Emma said. “If you want, I’m almost all unpacked. My parents and I could help you bring in your stuff?” Truthfully, Emma was coming to realize that their time there was almost up and she wasn’t ready for that.

“Oh, I couldn’t impose…”

David and Mary walked out of their daughter’s room. “Oh, are these your roommates?” Mary asked.

“Yup, Mom, Dad, this is Elsa and Regina. Guys, these are my parents, David and Mary Margaret.”

“So nice to meet you,” Elsa said immediately, shaking their hands.

“Do either of you girls need any help?” David asked.

“My parents will be up shortly, but I think Regina does.”

Regina looked from the smiling Nolans to back at Emma. “I um, don’t want to impose.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all,” Mary insisted, looping arms with her, once again catching the young woman off guard.  “Lead the way!”

 

After helping Regina get her stuff settled and meeting Elsa’s parents and little sister, things started to get more real. Mr. and Mrs. North bid their daughter a goodbye before leaving. Regina was phoning her boyfriend to let him know she had arrived safely and Elsa headed back into her room to unpack the last few things. Emma bit her lip as she walked with her parents down to David’s truck.

 

“So, you sure you have everything?” David asked.

Emma nodded. “Laundry detergent, clothes, my books and everything for the semester. Not to mention Mom’s insane amount of treats.”

“But do you have money? I know you were working at Granny’s this summer and you have a meal plan, but you may want to go out…” He pushed two fifties into her palm.

“Daddy…” Emma started to say.

“Hangers!” Mary interrupted.  “Do you have enough hangers?”

Emma nodded. “Uh huh.”

“And if your bug is having any trouble, I looked up the number of the nearest mechanic,” David added. “I put it in your phone. You call him if you have any trouble, he’ll take care of you.”

“Thank you.”

“Remember your seatbelt and no texting and driving…”

“I know, Dad,” Emma replied, smiling a little.

David bit his lip, putting a hand on her cheek. “I love you, Princess.”

“I love you more.”

“That’s not even possible.”

 

He pulled her into a big hug, cradling the back of her head as he did. Emma let out a deep breath, resting her head on his shoulder. Little did he know, she had stolen a few of his flannel shirts to wear, just to have that familiar smell. There was no denying that she was a Daddy’s girl. David wanted more than anything to stuff her into his truck and drive off, but he knew he couldn’t. It was time for his little princess to have her own adventures.

 

When they pulled apart, she turned to Mary, who was doing her best not to cry. “Don’t just eat sugar all the time, alright?”

Emma playfully rolled her eyes. “But then whatever is the point in college, Mother?”

Mary narrowed her eyes. “Vegetables and fruits, at two meals at least. Branching out from grilled cheese won’t kill you.”

“It might,” she teased.

“Call me tonight and then tomorrow morning…after lunch too…”

“How about I just keep you on FaceTime 24 hours a day?”

“Would you?”

 

Emma giggled and wrapped her arms around her. Mary hugged her tighter, kissing the side of her head.

 

“I love you, sweets,” she whispered.

“I love you too, Mama.”

 

They didn’t pull apart after the standard amount of time and David joined the hug once again, which made his girls smile. The little family stood in the hug for a minute, treasuring each and every moment of it.

 

_"I need you to keep an open mind,” David said._

_“What kind of open mind?”_

_“Emma Swan, this is David and Mary Margaret Nolan. David, Mary, this is Emma.”_

_“Adopt? You…you want to adopt me?”_

_“David, Mary Margaret, congratulations, it’s a girl.”_

_“It’s official, Princess,” David whispered happily in her ear. “You’re ours, forever.”_

 

“Thank you guys,” Emma whispered.

“We’d do it a million times over,” Mary confirmed.

 

Eventually, they pulled away. They each kissed one of her cheeks before getting into David’s truck. Slowly, they pulled away, tears falling down their cheeks. David kept one hand on the wheel, sliding the other into Mary’s hand.

 

“I’m so proud of her,” Mary said.

“Me too.”

“All that time, hoping and wishing for our little girl…and she was out there the whole time.”

“We’ll always be a family. No matter how far apart we are.”

 

Emma stood there, waiting until they were all the way out of the parking lot before she started to cry. She wiped her tears and took a deep breath. She felt a hand go on each of her shoulders. She looked up, seeing Regina and Elsa standing there.

 

“No tears,” Regina said, bumping hips with her.  “Come on, we’ve got some time before orientation.”

“We were gonna go check out the cafeteria, get some hot chocolate.”

Emma smiled a bit.  “As long as there’s cinnamon, I’m down.”

Regina wrinkled her nose. “Cinnamon on hot chocolate? I’ve never heard of it.”

Emma linked arms with her new roommates. “It’s a family thing. Come on.”

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I so did not tear up while writing this. There’s just…onions over there or something. Anyway, I hope to have the next installments up very soon. I want to thank all of you for reading and reviewing and always being so supportive. This story is my baby and it means so much that you all enjoy it so much. Emma, David, Mary and Neal’s journey isn’t close to be over yet, so I hope you’ll stay tuned for what’s to come.


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